AHS Awards: Akira Kurosawa Film Award Tribute To Michelle Yeoh’s Unparalleled Career
The first annual AHS awards see actress Michelle Yeoh taking home the inaugural Akira Kurosawa Film Award. Yeoh has been the golden standard in cinema and one of the most impactful Asian actors on an international scale. Yeoh was named “Icon of the Year” by Time Magazine, with an illustrious resume dating back to the 90s without any indication of slowing down. Taking a retrospective look at her career emphasizes the sprawling and important impact she has had on representation and diversity. As both a female actor and an Asian performer in the United States, she was an intersection of two identities that had historically been underrepresented in media for one reason or another. Her prominent roles in major films and dedication to the art of acting have made her unrivaled in the field, with an incredible resume to back up her iconic status.
The Malaysian-born actress began her career in Hong Kong credited under the name Michelle Khan in her earlier films. From the jump, she set herself apart for her commitment to performing her own stunts in a series of action films like Yes, Madam, where she was in a starring role, and Police Story 3: Supercop, alongside the peerless Jackie Chan. Despite stunt work being predominantly inhabited by male performers, she matched her peers and defined herself as a one of a kind performer.
In 1997 she changed her stage name back to Michelle Yeoh as she skyrocketed to international acclaim playing opposite Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies. Her commitment to the physicality of her craft was unmatched by any other actress in the industry as she performed her own fighting scenes as one of the most independent female leads in a James Bond movie. That commitment to the physicality of performance in action movies carried into her other works, including her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, one of the foremost martial arts movies in the past century.
She has also branched out from live-action films with prominent roles in television series and as a voice actor in animated films. Yeoh voiced roles in Kung Fu Panda 2, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. She was nominated for Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Telvision for her role in Star Trek: Discovery.
With every released film, Yeoh only continued to prover herself again and again, racking up awards and a filmography list that is unparalleled by female, Asian actors. She stands as one of the most recognizable faces in the film industry, a remarkable testament for an Asian actress who had started her career in non-English speaking roles.
Recent years have seen a major surge in the promotion of diversity and representation on film. Michelle Yeoh has been one of the faces of that movement, starring in a number of critically and commercially acclaimed films that have pushed AAPI visibility to staggering heights. In 2021 she played the mother of the titular character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, one of the blockbusters created by the juggernaut that is the MCU.
One of her most important roles was that of the family matriarch in Crazy Rich Asians, one of the most successful films ever released with a predominantly Asian cast. This film was a breakthrough for AAPI visibility and representation in media, proving that an entirely Asian cast was capable of incredible commercial success in the United States. In fact, the success of this film was a direct influence on her future co-star, Ke Huy Quan;s, return to acting. In this role she played opposite Constance Wu and Henry Golding in an engaging glimpse into the lives of the wealthy elite in Asia.
By 2022, Michelle Yeoh had already established herself as one of the most recognizable Asian actresses in the history of film. Even still, she continued to star in works that propelled her to even higher degrees of success and critical acclaim. Everything Everywhere All at Once is likely everywhere in everyone’s minds due to all the well-deserved award buzz and recognition. It was one of the most ambitious, absurd, and heartwarming feature films ever released and Yeoh played an irreplaceable part in that. She recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy Motion Picture and has been nominated for Best Actress in the upcoming Motion Picture Awards.
Michelle Yeoh continues to be one of the brightest stars in entertainment today and serves as an inspiration for women, AAPI, and other ambitious performers in the entertainment industry. Her career has been dynamic and transformative, having played roles ranging from a Bond girl to a multiverse saving laundromat owner. Yeoh’s performances have deserved all the acclaim and praise they have been given and she’s due to continue forging the path for future Asian performers everywhere.
