Michelle wants more main roles for Asians
We should be able to be getting more roles like this, and I think it’s proven the fact that we have, globally, fantastic Asian Americans, Asian Australian, Asian English, just Asian actors who are able to give you what you want when you go to the cinemas, when you take the time to go watch a movie, that they are able to be amazing storytellers and that is what is so necessary and that’s something that I have been fighting for since 30 years in my career. Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian actress
LOS ANGELES: Veteran Malaysian actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh wants more main roles in Hollywood movies for Asian actors.
Michelle, who is being tipped for an Oscars nomination, has been widely praised for her sterling role in Crazy Rich Asians, this year’s blockbuster romantic comedy.
During an interview for a showbiz journal, Michelle said: “We should be able to be getting more roles like this, and I think it’s proven the fact that we have, globally, fantastic Asian Americans, Asian Australian, Asian English, just Asian actors who are able to give you what you want when you go to the cinemas, when you take the time to go watch a movie, that they are able to be amazing storytellers and that is what is so necessary and that’s something that I have been fighting for since 30 years in my career. Not just strong women roles. To break away the stereotype of what Asians should be and the type of roles.”
Michelle feels that the time is ripe for such a transformation. On her own experience with what movie fans want, Michelle said: “I walk down the street and Asian Americans and even in London when I was just there recently, they come up and they embrace you and say, ‘ Thank you.’ “
The closest Michelle had come to an Oscars nomination was her jaw- dropping performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA. Talking about her character Eleanor Young in Crazy, Michelle said: “Immediately you’re so drawn to her character because I’ve always been drawn to strong women characters. So yes, I read it and it had all the elements of fun, funny, all the quirky characters that I know because I live in that part of the world, and I’m going, “I think I recognise who this is and who this family is,” so it was a lot of fun. I was really thrilled when I knew someone was going to make this into a movie.
On her own views about an Asian mother-in-law, versus that of director Jon Chu, Michelle noted: “I don’t think at any point with Jon Chu or the producers, they wanted to portray an Asian mother as just “the villain,” and it would not have been a good balance for the story because to have the young lovers have an obstacle is normal.
“I think it reflected in anyone who has a mother-in-law and you know you’re never going to be good enough for my son or for my daughter. You’re gonna have to earn that respect.”
Michelle also bolstered the stereotypical view that the Chinese do not vocalise their love for family members. Instead, she said love is shown by serving up favourite dishes.
Added Michelle: “But that was how they express love, through food. They will save the best part for you, if it was a chicken leg or something like that. And that was how love was, is still today expressed in many ways. When I go home, my mother will lay out my clothes because she thinks that, “You will look the best in this.” That is the old, traditional way of expressing love.”
Apparently, the Chinese also put a high value of quietly observing someone, trying to fathom a person’s inner qualities. That’s where the mahjong scene in Crazy came in for special praise.
Commenting on the scene, Michelle said: “They used mahjong because the tiles make that sound. It’s almost like a rhythm, “Tah tah, tah tah, tah tah, tah tah,” back and forth and all those kind of things.
“It is true, it is one of the favourite games of the Chinese society. We play this all the time and it is a game of strategy very similar to the game of poker.
“But that quietness of speaking versus the sound of the tiles and the many people that were in that room gave it such a powerful ambience and that was necessary because in that moment of noise but quietness, she was hearing for the first time the strength of this young woman ( Constance Wu’s character) and the reality of what is going on, and the choices that one makes for the people that you love, like, the choice that she would make for herself, for her son, and how she would support him or not support him, but I think the most important thing was seeing this girl find her own inner strength.”