Janet Yeoh, 84, praised the actor as intelligent and hardworking and a childlike daughter.
“I love my daughter so much and she has made Malaysia proud,” Yeoh told a press conference after the screening at a cinema in Kuala Lumpur. “Malaysia Boleh (Malaysia Kan)!”
Janet Yeoh said she was extremely proud of “my little princess,” who wanted to be a ballerina before entering the world of cinema. Yeoh said she pushed her daughter out of her cocoon despite protests from her late husband, a lawyer she described as “old-fashioned.”
In her acceptance speech, Yeoh dedicated her award to her mother, saying that “all the mothers in the world” were the real superheroes.
Soon after, Yeoh video chatted with her mother, triumphantly holding up her trophy.
“It was such an overwhelming moment. I was speechless, I cried,” said Vicki Yeoh, Michelle Yeoh’s niece, who attended the special viewing. “The nominees are very strong, but we had no doubts. We keep telling her that you will win…you will be on stage with the golden man.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Malaysian government has joined the nation in congratulating Yeoh for creating history.
“Combined with this achievement, Michelle’s illustrious and exemplary career in this field will surely continue to be a source of great inspiration and motivation for our homegrown actors and actresses and provide an even greater impetus to the growth of our local industry,” said Anwar in a thesis. “Good job, Michelle!”
Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who attended the viewing, immediately posted on social media: “Most inspirational quote for all of us aunts – ‘Ladies, don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re past your best’ – Michelle Yeoh.”
Lawmakers Sim Tze Sin and Wee Ka Siong thanked Michelle Yeoh for “breaking glass ceilings” for Asian and Malaysian women. They praised her as an icon of resilience and perseverance.
Michelle Yeoh, 60, learned ballet before acting. Her first major Hollywood role was playing a Chinese spy in the 1997 Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” alongside Pierce Brosnan.
She rose to fame for her role in the 2000 martial arts masterpiece ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, a Best Picture nominee that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Picture.
Yeoh had more recent success in the 2018 movie “Crazy Rich Asians” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” in 2021.
“We are incredibly proud. We hope she will break more records and win more prizes,” said her cousin Kelvin Yeoh.
See more coverage of the AP Academy Awards at https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards
