Miss World Malaysia 1983 wins Best Actress Oscar

Michelle Yeoh makes history

Miss World Malaysia 1983, Michelle Yeoh has made history as the first woman of Asian descent to win the Best Actress award, at the 95^th Oscar Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) held the prestigious award ceremony on March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Michelle is the first Malaysian performer honoured with the Best Actress Oscar, for her commended performance in sci-fi comedy film, Everything Everywhere All At Once. She portrayed Evelyn Wang, an Asian American immigrant, laundromat owner and busy mother who is thrown into an adventure, through multiple universes, in order to save the world from devastation. Michelle had to play, not only real-world Evelyn but many different versions of her character. The action scenes allow Michelle to display her incredible abilities as a martial artist but it’s her grounding through the crazy situations that won her the best actress award.

Michelle gave an inspiring acceptance speech,

“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof to dream big and dreams do come true.”

She dedicated her Oscar to her mother and “all the moms in the world, because they really are the superheroes and without them none of us would be here tonight.”

“I’m bringing this home!” she continued. “Thank you to the Academy, this is history in the making!”

Michelle has been admired, throughout the awards season, for her impressive performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. In addition to her Oscar, she won a Golden Globe Award For Best Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress and received a Bafta nomination for Best Actress.

On being informed of her history-making nomination in January, Michelle said, “I think this is more than me. Asians are walking up to me saying, ‘You can do it, you’re doing it for us.’ I totally understand them.”

Michelle’s acting career began in Hong Kong in the 1980s. She became renowned for roles in action films, starring alongside Jackie Chan and did many of her own stunts. Later she became better known, among Western audiences, for roles in the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies. Furthermore, her Hollywood debut and Oscar-winning drama, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She has recently appeared in the blockbusters Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Everything Everywhere All at Once won seven Academy Awards out of 11 nominations, including best picture. Among its other wins, it received best original screenplay and best director for duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

Congratulations to Michelle on her Best Actress Oscar! This demonstrates the platform into future success that the Miss World contest can provide.