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Metropolis Desk-
Michelle Yeoh made history on Tuesday morning as she became the first Asian nominated in the Best Actress category at the Academy Awards.
Speaking with Ross King at the BAFTA tea party in LA, the Last Christmas star, 60, said ‘it’s about time’ the Asian community are represented in the industry, reports Daily Mail.
She said: ‘It’s overwhelming and you are like thank you for seeing us, seeing people that look like me, so it’s about time.’
The news comes just weeks after the actress became the first Malaysian to win a Golden Globe.
‘I think what it means to me is all those Asians out there go, ‘You see, it’s possible. If she can do it, I can freaking well do it as well.’ That is the most important thing,’ she told Deadline following the news.
She continued: ‘I’m very ordinary. I just work very hard. There are so many brilliant actresses, actors out there who know that they have a seat at the table.’
The Shang-Chi star went on to encourage others to ‘find an opportunity and get there.’
Last month, Yeoh said the win would be for the ‘whole Asian community.’
Yeoh went on to reflect on her peers, many of them white actresses, who are constantly recognized for their talents.
‘I do look at all my peers—Cate Blanchett, Olivia Colman, Helen Mirren—and go, Oh God, I envy all the different opportunities you get to showcase your talent again and again,’ Yeoh said.
‘When you get an opportunity like this, you have to pour your heart and soul into it, because you don’t know when the next chance is. I think that is my biggest fear: Please don’t let this be the one and only,’ Yeoh admitted.
When asked about the prospect of making history at the Oscars, she explained what it would represent.
‘It’s not about needing it. It’s that feeling that you don’t have to explain: it’s love from other people. My arms are out open,’ she said.
Yeoh continues to be quite busy, filming Avatar 3, the new TV series The Witcher: Blood Origin and Transformers: Rise of the Beast.
Her past credits include a wide range of films like martial arts action projects (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), James Bond thrillers (Tomorrow Never Dies), and superhero films (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).
