The first Asian actress to be nominated for an Oscar kept her heritage hidden until after her death

Merle Oberon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "The Dark Angel" (1935). She was the first Asian actress to be nominated for an Oscar — but at the time, no one knew who she truly was.

As one of the shining stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Oberon went on to star in popular films like "Wuthering Heights" (1939) and "Désirée" (1954). Fearing her career would come to an end if her South Asian heritage would be known, she hid her origins for her entire life.

Source: Mic

Oberon was born in Mumbai, India, in 1911 to a British father and a mother who was of Sinhalese and Maori origin, who herself was born in present-day Sri Lanka.

At the age of 17, Oberon left Calcutta, India, for England to act in films. Her grandmother, who was darker-skinned, traveled with Oberon under the guise of being her maid.

Source: BBC

Desperate to maintain a future in Hollywood, Oberon invented the origin story of being from Tasmania, Australia, erasing her Indian roots.

Oberon's performance in "Wuthering Heights" (1939) is often credited for solidifying her place as Hollywood royalty. Directors Samuel Goldwyn and Sir Alexander Korda, both of whom Oberon had previously worked with, helped her neutralize her accent and assimilate any traits that may have given away her South Asian heritage.

Oberon also employed lightening techniques to blur her blemishes and "whiten" her complexion.

Source: BBC

Later on in life, it became harder for Oberon to keep her history a secret.

In 1965, Oberon canceled appearances in Tasmania, her fabricated birthplace, once she learned local journalists began to question her origins.

Source: Mic

It wasn't until 1983, four years after her death, that her South Asian heritage became public knowledge.

In the biography "Princess Merle: The Romantic Life of Merle Oberon," photographs and familial records revealed the story she had worked her life to keep unknown.

Source: BBC

Eighty-eight years after Oberon's nomination, Michelle Yeoh makes history as only the second Asian actress to be recognized by the Academy in the Best Actress Category.

As 2023 marks historic year for performers of Asian descent, Oberon's story is a firm reminder of how far Hollywood has come, and how much further it has still to go.