35 Things You Might Not Have Known About the Action Star #3 - Michelle Yeoh

1.  She returned from a five-year hiatus just so she could work on Police Story 3: Supercop.
2. She was so good at fighting in "Tomorrow Never Dies" that they had to call up Sing ba Gan (Jackie Chan's stunt team) to find a stuntman that was as good as her.
3. She is Samo Hung's favourite actress.
4. She is so good with stuntwork that Jackie Chan got jealous on the set of Supercop.
5. She was billed as Michelle Khan for the release of Supercop.
6. She was billed as Michelle Kheng for the release of Yes Madam.
7. She trained for eight hours a day before filming Yes Madam
   
8. She was Miss Malaysia of 1983.
9. She agreed to doing a commercial with a "Sing Lung" and she didn't even know that was Jackie Chan.
10.  She has no proper training in Kung fu.
11. She almost quit acting in 1996 because of a failed stunt.
12. Most of the roles she has were originally made for men.
13. She is the first Malaysian to win an Academy Award.
14. She speaks four languages.
15. She wanted to be a ballerina
16. She was forced to do Miss Malaysia
17. She does her own stunts
18. She is often mistaken to be from Hong Kong
19. She has her own production company, Mythical Films.
    
20. Yeoh can hold her breath for over 4 minutes.
21. She credits Jackie Chan's work ethic and dedication to stunts as a major influence on her own career.
22. She also has called him a male chauvinist pig.
    
23. Yeoh is the first Malaysian to star in a Hollywood blockbuster (Tomorrow Never Dies) and the first Asian actress to lead a Disney animated film (Raya and the Last Dragon).
24. She's a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and advocates for children's education and welfare worldwide.
25.   She avoids dubbing to maintain authenticity in her performances.
26. She trained Kate Winslet for the fight scenes in Ang Lee's Hulk and Lucy Liu for Charlie's Angels.
27. Yeoh speaks out against Hollywood's typecasting and fights for more representation of Asian actors in leading roles.
28. She designed many of the cool weapons and tech Wai Lin uses in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" herself.
29. In the male-dominated world of action films, Michelle Yeoh helped pave the way for strong female characters. Her powerful performances challenged stereotypes and inspired generations of actresses.
30. Michelle Yeoh is a passionate animal rights activist. She's spoken out against cruelty and even refused to wear fur in costumes, opting for faux alternatives.
31. In the 1980s, Hong Kong action cinema was dominated by men. Yeoh shattered the glass ceiling, becoming one of the first female action stars and paving the way for others like Lucy Liu and Zhang Ziyi.
32.    She performed in various stage productions and even choreographed some of her own fight scenes.
33. Yeoh's first love was ballet, even attending the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in London. An injury at 15 forced her to switch paths, leading her to the world of action cinema.
34. She performed the motorcycle stunt in Supercop, despite not knowing how to ride a motorcycle.
35. Michelle Yeoh was promoted as Sammo Hung's favourite actress in the trailer for Yes Madam.