Michelle Yeoh’s mother and family broke down in tears during the 2023 Oscars telecast, where Yeoh was awarded the best actress prize for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Yeoh’s victory made her the first Asian lead actress winner in Oscars history and only the second woman of color to win the category (Halle Berry, who presented Yeoh with the Oscar alongside Jessica Chastain, was the first for “Monster’s Ball”). The actress’ mom, Janet Yeoh, and other family members watched the Oscars live in Malaysia and cheered, wept and screamed when Michelle’s name was called as the winner.
“I so love my daughter and she has made Malaysia proud,” Janet Yeoh told a news conference after her Oscars viewing party in Kuala Lumpur (via Associated Press). “Malaysia Boleh (Malaysia Can)!”
Michelle Yeoh dedicated her Oscar win to her mother and “all the moms in the world” during her acceptance speech. “They are the real superheroes, and without them, none of us will be here tonight,” she added.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Yeoh said earlier in the speech. “This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”
Vicki Yeoh, Michelle Yeoh’s niece, was also at the viewing party in Malaysia and told the press about Michelle’s win, “It was such a jaw-dropping moment. I was speechless, I cried. The nominees are really strong, but we had no doubt. We keep telling her that you will win … you will stand on the stage with the golden man.”
Michelle Yeoh’s victory even earned a shout out from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who said, “Coupled with this achievement, Michelle’s illustrious and exemplary career in this field will certainly continue to be a source of great inspiration and motivation to our homegrown actors and actresses and provide even greater impetus to the growth of our local industry. Way to go, Michelle!”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” won a total of seven Oscars, including best picture. The film became the most awarded best picture winner since “Slumdog Millionaire” and also took home prizes for best director, original screenplay, supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan) and supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis).
Watch Yeoh’s family react to her historic Oscar win in the video below.
