The 61-year-old took home the prize for Best Actress for her role as Evelyn Wang in last year’s blockbuster “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, beating out Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Andrea Riseborough, and Michelle Williams.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that ‘dream big’ and dreams do come true,” Yeoh said while accepting her award.
“And ladies, don’t let anybody ever tell you you are past your prime,” she added.
She also dedicated the award to her mother in Malaysia.
“I dedicate this to my mum, all the mums in the world, because they are really the superheroes, and without them, none of us would be here tonight.
“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 bringing this home to you.”
Yeoh’s Oscar win is the latest in her impressive line of achievements and accolades, including the recent SAG and Spirit awards, and January’s Golden Globe win.
In all, she has received 39 nominations for this role, including the United States’ Critics Choice Award and the United Kingdom’s Bafta prize, both of which she lost to Blanchett.
Yeoh is also now the first actress who identifies as Asian to win the Best Actress award.
With 11 nods, “Everything Everywhere” held the highest number of nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The remarkable absurdist comedy-drama has also taken the prize for Best Picture, with directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka “The Daniels”) having won for Best Director(s).
Earlier in the proceedings, Yeoh’s co-star Ke Huy Quan clinched the Best Supporting Actor prize – as did Jamie Lee Curtis for Best Supporting Actress, a category that also featured fellow co-star Stephanie Hsu.
“Everything Everywhere” also won for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
The film was further nominated for Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.
“Everything Everywhere” is considered one of the top 10 films of 2022 by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute (AFI).
Yeoh’s character, Wang, is the owner of a failing laundromat who is thrown into the multiverse, where she has to save it from imminent destruction.
Yeoh, of course, is no stranger to critically-acclaimed performances, as her long career has seen her taking on diverse roles in numerous blockbusters. These include her breakthrough Hollywood role as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies”, a martial artist in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, and a family matriarch in “Crazy Rich Asians”.
Tahniah, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh!