Michelle Yeoh Becomes 1st Asian To Win Best Actress At Screen Actors Guild Awards
Back in January, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.
Michelle Yeoh Becomes 1st-Ever Asian Nominee For Best Actress At The Oscars
Since then, the 60-year-old star continues to make waves in the industry.
On Sunday (26 Feb), she picked up the best actress award for her performance in the 2022 film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ at the 29th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
Besides that, her co-star Ke Huy Quan also bagged the supporting actor accolade, making them the first Asians to win big at the SAG Awards.
Michelle Yeoh wins best actress at SAG awards
According to The Guardian, ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ bagged four Outstanding Performance wins that night for:
- Cast in a Motion Picture
- Female Actor in a Leading Role (Michelle Yeoh)
- Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Jamie Lee Curtis)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Ke Huy Quan)
Source: Associated Press
This is a record-breaking achievement for the most SAG awards for a film. Since the awards were established in 1995, only four films have won three SAG awards.
“I think if I speak, my heart will explode,” said Yeoh in her acceptance speech.
Source: Associated Press
Furthermore, the actress mentioned that she was up against “titans” such as Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Viola Davis.
“This is not just for me, this is for every girl who looks like me,” she declared. “Thank you for giving me a seat at the table.”
Ke Huy Quan & Jamie Lee Curtis win supporting awards
In his speech, Yeoh’s co-star Quan talked about becoming the first Asian man to win an individual award in SAG history.
Source: Associated Press
He expressed that the moment no longer “belonged to him”, but instead to everyone who “asked for change”.
Curtis, who won the best supporting actress award, quipped, “I know you look at me and you think ‘nepo baby’, and that’s why she’s there and I totally get it. But the truth of the matter is that I’m 64 years old and this is just amazing.”
‘Nepo baby’, or ‘nepotism baby’, is a term for the child of a celebrity who is successful thanks to their famous relative.
Curtis is the daughter of Hollywood legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
The New York Times called Curtis’ win an “upset victory” as she triumphed over Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett and BAFTA winner Kerry Condon.
Congratulations to Yeoh for her impressive achievements
Yeoh’s and Quan’s achievements in an industry dominated by Western artists are nothing short of remarkable.
Moreover, their feats definitely shine a spotlight on the Asian community, perhaps even inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
We hope they and the rest of the cast and crew of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ will continue to do us proud at the upcoming Academy Awards.
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Featured image adapted from @michelleyeoh_official on Instagram and Instagram.
