It’s safe to say that Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has had plenty to be proud of over the past year or so, given her track record of success from across the award’s circuit from her role as multiverse superhero and laundromat owner, Evelyn Quan Wang.
But no other achievement comes as close to her creating history yesterday, after it was announced that she had bagged one of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ award for Best Actress, becoming the first-ever actress of Asian descent to do so.
HK actor Chapman To reminds that Michelle Yeoh is M’sian
And understandably, fans from across the world, especially those within Asia, have been vocal about their support towards her win, especially in Hong Kong where her moviemaking career found its start, as well as in her home of Malaysia where a special Oscar viewing party was organised to commemorate the occasion with.
With that said, her achievement has also led to much discourse online among social media users as to which country should ‘claim’ responsibility for her success, with some Malaysians arguing that Malaysia has no right to take any credit when the local film industry would never have granted Michelle the opportunities she needed to shine on the world stage.
In the case of Hong Kong actor Chapman To, he has taken to kindly ‘reminding’ the Hong Kong government that they shouldn’t be so quick to stake their ‘claim’ either, and underscored the fact that Michelle is Malaysian in a post that was uploaded to his Facebook profile.
“Just a warm reminder to the HK government. Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian. Don’t casually claim that she’s from Hong Kong, thanks.” he wrote.
HK Secretary for Culture congratulates Michelle on her win
This comes after Kevin Yeung, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hong Kong Special Administration Region, had congratulated Michelle on her Oscar win yesterday (March 13th, 2023).
“Hong Kong’s film sector has nurtured many outstanding actors and filmmakers. Michelle Yeoh rose to prominence in the Hong Kong film industry for years, then moved on to the international stage and became a shining star with impressive achievements,” Yeung said.
According to ECNS, he adds that this is a testament to the strength and potential of Hong Kong talents within the filmmaking industry. Previously, Kevin had described Michelle as a ‘Hong Kong actor’ in his congratulatory message to her in the wake of her Golden Globes win.
It is worth noting that Michelle has extended her appreciation to Hong Kong during her Academy award’s acceptance speech for allowing her to stand on their shoulders, while after dedicating the award to her mother and family in Kuala Lumpur.
Upon starring in a series of advertisements with Jackie Chan in the 1980s, Michelle went on to become a household name in Hong Kong cinema as an action star, and went on to act in a number of blockbusters including Yes, Madam!, Police Story 3: Supercop, and Heroic Trio, among others. In 1997, she transitioned into Hollywood with her debut role as Bond girl Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies.
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