Born as Yang Zi Qiong in the mining town of Ipoh, in West Malaysia, in the lunar year of the Tiger, Michelle is the daughter of Janet Yeoh and Yeoh Kian Teik, a lawyer and politician. She is of Han Chinese (Hokkien) descent, and spoke English and Malay before Chinese. A ballet dancer since age 4, she moved to London, England to study at the Royal Academy as a teenager. After a brief dance career, she won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant title in her native country and the Miss Moomba beauty pageant title in Melbourne, Australia in the early 1980s. Her first on camera work was a 1984 commercial with martial arts star Jackie Chan. In 1985, she began making action movies with D&B Films of Hong Kong. She was first billed as Michelle Khan, then later, Michelle Yeoh. Never a trained martial artist, she relied on her dance discipline and her on-set trainers to prepare for her martial arts action scenes.
She uses many dance moves in her films. She still does most of her own stunts and has been injured many times. Ironically, she still cannot read Chinese and she has to have Chinese script read to her. In 1988, she married wealthy D&B Films executive Dickson Poon and retired from acting. Even though they divorced in 1992, she is close to Poon's second wife and a godmother to Poon's daughter. When she returned to acting, she became very popular to Chinese audiences and she became known to western audiences through her co-starring roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies(1997) and in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) aka Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' directed by Ang Lee. She turned down a role in a sequel to The Matrix (1999).
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
The Brothers Sun (2024)
Starring as Eileen Sun
(8 episodes)
- Episode 1x08: Protect the Family (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x07: Gymkata (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x06: Country Boy (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x05: The Rolodex (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x04: Square (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x03: Whatever You Want (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x02: Favor for a Favor (Jan 4, 2024)
- Episode 1x01: Pilot (Jan 4, 2024)
American Born Chinese (2023)
Starring as Guanyin Pusa
(7 episodes)
- Episode 1x08: The Fourth Scroll (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x07: Beyond Repair (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x06: Hot Stuff (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x04: Make a Splash (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x03: Rockstar Status (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x02: A Monkey on a Quest (May 24, 2023)
- Episode 1x01: What Guy Are You (May 24, 2023)
The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)
Starring as Scían
(4 episodes)
- Episode 1x04: Of Mages, Malice, and Monstrous Mayhem (Dec 25, 2022)
- Episode 1x03: Of Warriors, Wakes, and Wondrous Worlds (Dec 25, 2022)
- Episode 1x02: Of Dreams, Defiance, and Desperate Deeds (Dec 25, 2022)
- Episode 1x01: Of Ballads, Brawlers, and Bloodied Blades (Dec 25, 2022)
Marvel Studios: Assembled (2021)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 1x06: The Making of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Nov 12, 2021)
The Ready Room (2019)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 3x10: Terra Firma, Part 2 (Dec 17, 2020)
Star Trek: Short Treks (2018)
Starring as Starfleet Lieutenant Philippa Georgiou
- Episode 1x03: The Brightest Star (Dec 6, 2018)
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Guest starring as Starfleet Captain Philippa Georgiou
(3 episodes)
- Episode 1x04: The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry (Oct 8, 2017) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x02: Battle at the Binary Stars (Sep 24, 2017) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x01: The Vulcan Hello (Sep 24, 2017) [Special Guest Star]
Guest starring as Emperor Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius
(21 episodes)
- Episode 3x10: Terra Firma, Part 2 (Dec 17, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x09: Terra Firma, Part 1 (Dec 10, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x08: The Sanctuary (Dec 3, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x06: Scavengers (Nov 19, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x05: Die Trying (Nov 12, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x04: Forget Me Not (Nov 5, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x03: People of Earth (Oct 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x02: Far From Home (Oct 22, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x14: Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 (Apr 18, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x13: Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1 (Apr 11, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x11: Perpetual Infinity (Mar 28, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x10: The Red Angel (Mar 21, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x08: If Memory Serves (Mar 7, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x07: Light and Shadows (Feb 28, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x05: Saints of Imperfection (Feb 14, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x03: Point of Light (Jan 31, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x15: Will You Take My Hand? (Feb 11, 2018) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x14: The War Without, the War Within (Feb 4, 2018) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x13: What's Past Is Prologue (Jan 28, 2018) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x12: Vaulting Ambition (Jan 21, 2018) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x11: The Wolf Inside (Jan 14, 2018)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2015)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2019-10-28: Beto O'Rourke & Michelle Yeoh (Oct 28, 2019)
Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live from the Red Carpet (2015)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2024 Special: The Oscars Red Carpet Show 2024 (Mar 10, 2024)
Marco Polo (2014)
Starring as Lotus
(7 episodes)
- Episode 2x08: Whitehorse (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x07: Lost Crane (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x06: Serpent's Terms (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x05: Lullaby (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x03: Measure Against the Linchpin (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x02: Hug (Jul 1, 2016)
- Episode 2x01: Hunter and the Sable Weaver (Jul 1, 2016)
Guest starring as Lotus
- Episode S01 Special: Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes (Dec 26, 2015)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2024-01-24: Naomi Watts, Michelle Yeoh, Dustin Ybarra (Jan 24, 2024)
Live With... (2011)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2x60: 16/12/2011 - Jenny Eclair, David Thewlis, Michelle Yeoh, The Puppini Sisters (Dec 16, 2011)
Strike Back (2010)
Starring as Mei Foster/Li-Na
(9 episodes)
- Episode 5x09: Legacy: Episode 9 (Jul 29, 2015)
- Episode 5x08: Legacy: Episode 8 (Jul 22, 2015)
- Episode 5x07: Legacy: Episode 7 (Jul 15, 2015)
- Episode 5x06: Legacy: Episode 6 (Jul 8, 2015)
- Episode 5x05: Legacy: Episode 5 (Jul 1, 2015)
- Episode 5x04: Legacy: Episode 4 (Jun 24, 2015)
- Episode 5x03: Legacy: Episode 3 (Jun 17, 2015)
- Episode 5x02: Legacy: Episode 2 (Jun 10, 2015)
- Episode 5x01: Legacy: Episode 1 (Jun 3, 2015)
innerSPACE (2008)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2018-02-09: Friday, February 09 (Feb 9, 2018)
The Graham Norton Show (2007)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 30x16: Michelle Yeoh, Austin Butler, Jack Lowden, Ashley Banjo, Mimi Webb (Feb 3, 2023)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2022-04-13: Bill Maher, Michelle Yeoh, Alec Benjamin (Apr 13, 2022)
E! News (2002)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 23x73: Michelle Yeoh, Kate Beckinsale (May 10, 2023)
The Late Show with David Letterman (1993)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 1997-12-18: Leslie Nelson, Michelle Yeoh, Hanson (Dec 18, 1997)
Good Morning America (1975)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2023-05-25: Juju Chang, Michelle Yeoh, Shameik Moore, James Comey (May 25, 2023)
Oscars (1953)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
(3 episodes)
- Episode 2024-03-10: The 96th Annual Academy Awards (Mar 10, 2024)
- Episode 2019-02-24: The 91st Annual Academy Awards (Feb 24, 2019)
- Episode 2001-03-25: The 73rd Annual Academy Awards (Mar 25, 2001)
Golden Globe Awards (1944)
Guest starring as Michelle Yeoh
- Episode 2024-01-07: The 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards (Jan 7, 2024)