AS early as 7am yesterday, family members of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh congregated at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur’s Dadi Cinema, along with extended family members, friends, and guests from the entertainment industry such as Amber Chia, Sangeeta Krishnasamy and Joyce Harn.
They were all there for a viewing party for the 95th Academy Awards, which was livestreamed across the world from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
From the moment the Academy Awards began, and for the next three hours or so, those in the viewing party’s audience waited with bated breath for the Best Performance by an Actress category, to be announced two awards before the Best Picture awards.
Despite being there primarily for Yeoh, those in attendance also showed exuberant support for the film she was in, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The crowd cheered when the film began sweeping the awards, from Best Actress in a Supporting Role all the way to Best Directing, until the triumphant moment when Yeoh won the award for Best Performance by an Actress.
In her acceptance speech, Yeoh stressed that her winning the award is a “beacon of hope and possibilities” for all “little boys and girls who look like me”.
“This is proof that, dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you [that] you are ever past your prime. Never give up,” the 60-year-old Malaysian icon said.
Yeoh also thanked the film’s directors, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (the Daniels), the film studio A24, and the rest of the film’s cast and crew, who also won their respective awards; the Daniels won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and actor Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor, among several other awards.
Towards the end of her speech, Yeoh saved the best for last, and dedicated the win to her mother, Datin Janet Yeoh, who was watching her daughter at the viewing party in KL.
“This is for you. I’m bringing this home,” Yeoh said, thanking her family and those in Malaysia who supported her throughout the decades.
Also present at the viewing event was Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Hajah Nancy Shukri, along with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Later, on behalf of her daughter, Janet accepted a token of appreciation from Shukri for her contribution to the country, as Malaysia’s first Oscar-winning actress.
