Watch Michelle Yeoh FaceTime Her Mother in Malaysia Following Historic Win
The outpouring of love and support for Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh truly was “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Yeoh FaceTimed her mother immediately following her Best Actress win and becoming the first Asian woman to receive the award. “I have to dedicate this to my mom — all the moms in the world — because they are really the superheroes. And without them, none of us would be here tonight,” Yeoh said in her acceptance speech onstage.
She continued about her mother Janet Yeoh, “She’s 84. And I’m taking this home to her. She’s watching right now in Malaysia, KL, with my family and friends. I love you guys, I’m taking this home to you.”
Following the win, Yeoh then called her mother Janet directly, which was caught by CNA’s Malaysia bureau chief Melissa Goh’s camera. Janet told Yeoh, “Malaysia boleh,” which translates to “Malaysia can do it!”
Janet said during a post-Oscars press conference, “I so love my daughter, and she has made Malaysia proud. This is something she earned with her hard work. She is a very filial daughter, and helps people a lot.”
Yeoh previously admitted that Janet thought the role of Evelyn Wang in Best Picture winner “Everything Everything All at Once” made her “look so old” onscreen.
“I think my mother was upset when she saw the film,” Yeoh said in a W Magazine cover story earlier this year. “I was really worried about her seeing the sex toys that were flying around in the movie, but I guess she never noticed those. Instead, she said, ‘Why do you look so old? You should look like the film where you had the ballgown on!’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ But that’s so typical of my mom: She wants me to run around the entire movie looking like a movie star.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Yeoh’s win, saying via the Associated Press, “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!”
A filial daughter , Michelle checked in on her mother straight after she became the first Asian to win the best actress award in the Academy’s 95 year history . Bravo ! https://t.co/Ghvs4LYW94 pic.twitter.com/BzqTIJ5cuW
— Melissa Goh (@MelGohCNA) March 13, 2023
Michelle Yeoh's mum at an Oscar viewing party back home in Malaysia! pic.twitter.com/5y9pIWn34W
— stevie wong (@wongie1) March 13, 2023