Michelle Yeoh Quotes & Sayings

As an actor, you can't just imitate someone. You have to get under her skin. — Michelle Yeoh

My career in the movie business began in Hong Kong, my heart has always been tied to Asia, and it is immensely gratifying to see international recognition for Asian cinema as a whole. — Michelle Yeoh

Playing Aung San Suu Kyi was a journey in itself. She represents many things for many people and for many reasons. Although I have played many important roles in my life, I can say that this role has been a journey of self-realisation. — Michelle Yeoh

In Europe and America, you never see a director pick up a camera. They all sit behind monitors. — Michelle Yeoh

When you're a teenager, you could do a lot more crazy things, and your body recovers faster. — Michelle Yeoh

Martial arts is just practice. Being a geisha requires complete control. — Michelle Yeoh

I was struck by Suu Kyi's warmth and generosity. No matter how petite she looks, she exudes amazing strength. More than anything else, I felt like I already knew her, like she was an old friend, because I'd been watching her so intently, and she was exactly what I had figured she would be. — Michelle Yeoh

If I only get to play Malaysian roles, there wouldn't be very many roles for me to play. — Michelle Yeoh

I don't like cutting my hair. I did that once, and my mum thought I was a boy. — Michelle Yeoh

Unfortunately, many parents reject helmets for their kids out of a mistaken perception that helmets are unsafe for children. — Michelle Yeoh

When men have a smile on their faces, that does a lot for me. — Michelle Yeoh

When it is real person, especially who means so much to millions of people, you have an obligation, you cannot take liberties, you cannot pretend to know. But we are telling the love story of Michael Aris and his wife, the story of a beautiful, lush country, and the emotions of a mother. — Michelle Yeoh

This world belongs to all of us, and all sexes should be able to live in respect and harmony. — Michelle Yeoh

It's our responsibility as filmmakers to tell a story that's a human drama. — Michelle Yeoh

When you face up to bad things in the past, the most important thing is not to allow them to happen today or in the future, and as storytellers, we must play our part in that. — Michelle Yeoh

The first one I did was an action film with Sammo Hung and George Lam, but I had the usual female role for that time: you know, damsel in distress, rescued by the hero. — Michelle Yeoh

They won't take you seriously because you are a girl. These guys had to understand that you are just as tough as them, and you have to take them on. — Michelle Yeoh

Why do we have 'Transformers 5 or 6?' Because young kids will go and see it four or five times. — Michelle Yeoh

I have done many films across the globe and would love to be a part of Bollywood, but the script must have a strong character for me. — Michelle Yeoh

'The Lady' is an incredible love story about how a family was cut off from each other, about sacrifice, about the ability to put the needs of million of people before your own. — Michelle Yeoh

If you were ever a ballerina, you know the pain: just to be able to look like it's all so light, but when they take off their shoes, it's all bloody. — Michelle Yeoh

I did ballet, piano and all that - my brother did martial arts, my passion. — Michelle Yeoh

Beauty shouldn't be superficial and should come from within, and your eyes will tell the story. — Michelle Yeoh

We have to make movies where we do not think this is for the American market or this is for the Chinese market. We have to make a good movie that anyone would just want to sit down and watch because love, language, culture transcend everything. — Michelle Yeoh

In one take, I had to do 24 combat sequences, which is hard. It makes you think, 'I'd better get on my toes again.' — Michelle Yeoh

Your timing has to be very accurate. I've done a lot of wire work before. I can see that experience makes a big difference. — Michelle Yeoh

I gravitate towards roles where women find strength in very difficult, uncompromising situations but maintain clarity in mind, discipline at heart, and a certain strength in spirit. — Michelle Yeoh

I love action films, and to be able to put together 'Silver Hawk' was so exciting. — Michelle Yeoh

I've taken this year to concentrate fully on the promotion of 'The Lady.' This movie has been so meaningful; until we have premiered in every part of the world and encouraged as many people as possible to shine the spotlight on the Burmese people and Daw Suu, I will not have a next project. — Michelle Yeoh

I have been presented with roles with demand not just a physical ability but mental disciplines as well. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was not so much about physical exertion ... it was much more graceful and contained than that. — Michelle Yeoh

My grandmother had flawless skin just from using basic skincare - an old herbal remedy in the form of a white powder and cream. I don't actually know what was in it because when you're young, you're not interested in skincare, and I didn't want to walk around the house with a white face. — Michelle Yeoh

Every time I choose to do a movie, I make the decision because of what I think I can learn from it. — Michelle Yeoh

San Suu's story will always involve politics, but the essence is the love story. — Michelle Yeoh

When someone acknowledges you for something that they think about you, it's a huge compliment. — Michelle Yeoh

Before you get into the mind, you have to inhabit the physicality. Body language is a great way of speaking. — Michelle Yeoh

There is so much we can do to save lives on our roads. — Michelle Yeoh

I grew up in Malaysia, and Bollywood is really big there. As a result, I've grown up watching a lot of Hindi movies. — Michelle Yeoh

Playing a sinner is very liberating! — Michelle Yeoh

Every time you do a movie, it's important for your career, your reputation. — Michelle Yeoh

If you read a lot of Chinese literature, there has always been very strong women figures - warriors, swordswomen - who defended honor and loyalty with the men. So, it's not new to our culture - it's always been very much a part of it. It's good that now the Western audience would have a different image of the Chinese women. — Michelle Yeoh

With an award like the Asian Film Awards, we've sent a message saying that 'Asian Cinema is here, it matters, and more importantly, we are all part of the same fraternity!' The AFA is truly, then, an award for Asia, by Asia. — Michelle Yeoh

I had an amazing teacher, who was Burmese, and she was living in Paris at the time, and she is one of very few who doesn't actually receive a credit in the film because she still has family over there. — Michelle Yeoh

Action shouldn't just be seeing all those crashes. You can blow up a cathedral; next time you blow up the Great Wall of China, and then what? But when you're in love with your characters, the smallest action becomes an important action. — Michelle Yeoh

'Crouching Tiger,' of course, was a very dramatic role for me, and the fighting was very serious. — Michelle Yeoh

As an actor, you hope to find roles that are challenging to you as an artist. Then if you are truly blessed, you will find that it also carries a message that you can impart to your audience. — Michelle Yeoh

As an actress, you know there are limitations on what you can do creatively. — Michelle Yeoh

You never know whether the subject matter will click with the audience at that particular time. I wish there was a formula, you know, 'That plus that equals success.' — Michelle Yeoh

I kick and punch quite hard, and it surprises people. — Michelle Yeoh

In many ways, I feel I'm still as physically fit as I was 20 years ago because I've always been athletic. — Michelle Yeoh

I think that learning Burmese has to have been one of the most challenging things that I have had to do for a movie. — Michelle Yeoh

Some of the martial arts films, the motivation is about martial arts. That's where it's coming from. It is a visual, commercial film, to showcase the next stunt, the biggest thing. And character development becomes a side thing. — Michelle Yeoh

Wai Lin is the first Bond Girl who is on a par with Bond, someone who can match up with him mentally and physically. From the moment our characters see each other, there is a wariness and a recognition that this person is not who she or he seems to be. — Michelle Yeoh

As a producer, what you want to do is make the next hit. But you also want to lead the audience into wanting to watch different movies. You have to vary your content. — Michelle Yeoh

I stretch and do my squats when I brush my teeth. — Michelle Yeoh

When I watch myself on-screen, I always look for the flaws. — Michelle Yeoh

To be a geisha, you have to have to an iron-clad layer around you - around your physical body and your heart. — Michelle Yeoh

I believe we are all born equal. You know, we are, whether you're a boy or a girl, you should have the same equal rights. — Michelle Yeoh

I have very supportive parents who said, 'Go and do what you want to do. Home is always here for you, and if you don't like it out there, come back. You can always do something different.' So when you have an option like that, you are able to choose roles or choose the things you want to be in. — Michelle Yeoh

I believe that the director is really the soul. It is a collaborative effort, but the director is the one who needs to have that vision. It could be a great script, but it starts from there. You need to have good material, at least, but if you don't have someone with vision, it's just words. — Michelle Yeoh

I want to be there for all those who are left behind in this world, whether it's because they are born poor, born a woman, or born in an area affected by devastation. — Michelle Yeoh

Martial arts is something you can learn or pick up and think you could do really well. — Michelle Yeoh

I don't plan to go out and do action or not do action. — Michelle Yeoh

We all learn every day, and that's the magic about film making. — Michelle Yeoh

For an actress, everything is always fine - you are looked after, you have your trailer, and everything provided. But the crew are the ones out there in the wilds all the time, hours before and after us. — Michelle Yeoh

For me, the director is the most important thing. He is steering the boat. If you don't trust him, you won't be able to give him your all. — Michelle Yeoh

Sometimes, being a girl away from home - it gets to you. — Michelle Yeoh

You have to have integrity. — Michelle Yeoh

When a movie becomes very successful, it's automatic that people will start thinking a sequel, a prequel, a quel-quel. — Michelle Yeoh

I believe all of us want to do good for our country. — Michelle Yeoh

Jackie Chan is like a big bro to me. — Michelle Yeoh

Let's empower men and help them take a stand to stop acts of violence against women. — Michelle Yeoh

It's very important that I'm approaching a character that I've either not played before, or I can give it a different take. — Michelle Yeoh

On 'Far North,' we were always aware of being at the whim of mother nature. She's the biggest star in the film. — Michelle Yeoh

We always see Aung San as a strong, tough woman. There are two stories running in parallel. You see the contradictions between the East and the West, and you see someone who does mundane and normal things - someone who's supposed to be a housewife - and then someone who's become important and imprisoned. — Michelle Yeoh

As producers, we can influence where the budget goes, but only the director really controls what tone, what type of movie you are trying to make. — Michelle Yeoh

It was like baptism by fire. There was no school for studying acting. You just have to take it upon yourself to learn from your peers. It's about opening your eyes, listening, and watching. — Michelle Yeoh

When I made my first film, it was just an adventure. But after my first movie, I guess I got more of a feeling of what was happening around me. — Michelle Yeoh

Today, tomorrow and every day, we will see at least 2,000 young children killed or seriously injured on the world's roads. This is unacceptable, preventable, and we have to stop it. We have the vaccines for this disease: helmets, seatbelts, speed enforcement, safe road design. We just need to use them. — Michelle Yeoh

I have people who love me and people that I love and a man that I love. So in that sense, I feel that I'm pretty well rounded. — Michelle Yeoh

Raising awareness for Nepal was and still is an important role for me. — Michelle Yeoh

It can only be true love when you enable your other half to be better, to be the person they're destined to be. — Michelle Yeoh

It's very important for us all to understand that we are interconnected and we need to hold hands together, especially when the going gets tough. — Michelle Yeoh

Sometimes when I'm on the phone, someone will say, 'Yes, Mr. Yeoh.' And I'm thinking, 'I'm not Mr. Yeoh, man.' — Michelle Yeoh

I went to the Gobi Desert, even though I had no scenes there. This is the greatness of China, the landscape, even for us. — Michelle Yeoh

I always thought of myself as James Bond. — Michelle Yeoh

I'm terrible on the phone. I just text my friends and family and say, 'Hey, I'm in town.' — Michelle Yeoh

When you love someone, you don't try to change them. — Michelle Yeoh

The beauty about being a producer is you sit there, and you explore ideas which become a passion, which slowly becomes a reality. — Michelle Yeoh

There is no guaranteed formula. And that's one of the interesting things about filmmaking. You could put $115 million in, and it doesn't guarantee success. — Michelle Yeoh

The Asia and the Pacific region is facing an epidemic of road death and injury, but we also have innovative Asian road safety solutions. — Michelle Yeoh

I'm not a fashion victim, and I don't closely follow trends. I dress the way I feel comfortable because, at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable. — Michelle Yeoh

I love my martial arts and action movies. They give another dimension to the acting world: the emotional plus the physical. — Michelle Yeoh

Body language is more fascinating to me than actual language. — Michelle Yeoh

There might never be another 'Crouching Tiger.' There might be something that's even better than 'Crouching Tiger.' — Michelle Yeoh

I thoroughly enjoy a good hot bath. That is my ultimate luxury. — Michelle Yeoh

In a movie, that's the only time when you're allowed these kind of fantasies to be lived. Being able to look so cool and be able to fight five bad guys and take them down. When can you do that? — Michelle Yeoh

It's all choreographed; it's a routine. So I told everyone I really wanted to try fighting in action films. I had no stunt experience, but I had the dance background, and I was very agile and coordinated. And the best thing about being a newcomer to acting is you can afford to try new things. — Michelle Yeoh

Acting is not just impersonating your character. — Michelle Yeoh

India is a great talent pool of actors. I see Freida Pinto making it big in Hollywood, and I am sure many others can also make it. — Michelle Yeoh

My mother is a very big cinema buff, so as a kid, we watched a lot of Indian and Malay films. — Michelle Yeoh