How Michelle Yeoh Conquered Hollywood — and Fashion | The BoF Podcast

Subscribe to the BoF Podcast here.

Background

Michelle Yeoh has captivated audiences for decades, from her iconic role in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” to her Oscar-winning performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Over her storied career, she has consistently pushed boundaries, proving her versatility both on and off the screen, breaking paths as an Asian woman on the global stage.

Now, at the age of 62 Michelle has scored coveted global ambassador roles at not one, but two of fashion’s top luxury brands — Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.

“Fashion has changed, and it’s not just about dressing younger people,” Yeoh says. “You have to find representation across different generations, and I think what I represent is being proud that you are different, that you are older — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just before the Oscars a silly television commentator said, ‘You’re past your prime because you’re 50-something.’ How dare you? How dare anybody tell you what you are capable of?”

This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Yeoh to discuss her winding journey to the big screen and why fashion is finally embracing older women.

Key Insights

• Yeoh’s path to stardom began with her early passion for dance, which she began as a child in Malaysia before travelling to England to study further. When she had to set her dance dreams aside due to injury, the shift opened the door to acting in action and martial arts films alongside actors like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Jet Li. “I watched [Hung] do the choreography and the fighting, and I thought, ‘this is exactly like dance,’” she says. “This is choreography. We all know what we are doing, it’s about how you transfer the energy and the speed of the rhythm.”
• On success and failures, Yeoh embraces the lows moment as opportunities to transform. “Failures are what make you learn. If you’re only successful, how do you know that’s the way? It’s the journey, not just the destination,” says Yeoh. “And in that journey, that’s where you learn. That’s where you grow, where you meet, where you engage, and that’s where you have a full life.”
• Yeoh places a deep emphasis on trust and collaboration when choosing her creative partners. “Once I choose to work with you, then I have to trust you. I have to believe that you have the right vision,” she shares. “If I don’t trust you, then I don’t think I’ll be able to give you my best. I have to believe in your vision, that you know what you’re doing, and that we’re in this together.”

Additional Resources

• How Michelle Yeoh Conquered Fashion. With her historic 2023 Oscars win, the former Miss Malaysia and Hong Kong action star became a bona fide Hollywood A-lister. Now, the boundary-breaking actress and BoF 500 member has scored coveted global ambassador roles at not one, but two of fashion’s top luxury brands — Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta — at the age of 62.