'Don’t become me, be yourself' - Michelle Yeoh's advice to young ones
KUALA LUMPUR — Having won multiple prestigous awards, what more with the historical Oscar win recently, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has surely done Malaysia proud.
If there is any advice she would give to young boys and girls who aspire to be like her one day, Yeoh simply reminds them to be themselves.
"Don’t become me; be yourself. I believe that you’re going to be better. It’s not about having won an Oscar,” said Yeoh.
"Like I said in my speech, it's a beacon of hope,” she said.
The 60-year-old actress said this at a press conference today at Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur, ahead of her fan meet at 5.30pm at Centre Court Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
Having been in showbiz for more than 40 years, Yeoh marked that it's crucial to pursue your passion.
“It's very important that you are truly passionate about what you do because you never know what's around the corner.
"It's not a job; it's really a passion, and people who are in the industry as an actor, producer, or director will tell you that the journey is not easy,” she said.
She explained that what she has learned from the industry is that one can’t simply make it alone.
"What we have to learn to do is collaborate, and all of us have that incredible suit every one of us has, which is kindness, which we exercise and use all the time as our superpower," she said.
She also attributed that growing up in Malaysia where it’s a multiracial society, has helped shaped her to be who she is now.
"I see how I can learn from other people because, when we are here in Malaysia, we learn from each other.
"We all should accept what we are, and that's the beauty of the world because it is the difference that makes this so-called place dynamic," she said.
Yeoh made history last month after becoming the first Malaysian and Asian to win the Best Actress award at the 95th Academy Awards.
She was honoured with the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for Everything Everywhere All at Once at Hollywood’s most prestigious award ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a film that sits on the premise of surreal parallel universes and also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, and more.
Her accolades include the 80th Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, as well as the 38th Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance.
She was also the first Asian to receive the 29th Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Leading Role and the 95th Academy Award for Best Actress, cementing her place in the pantheon of great actors.
