Michelle Yeoh on why winning the Oscar for best actress matters | One-on-One with Stephanie Ruhle

Michelle, it is an honor to have this conversation. I think it's safe to say that from watching you, even in these award shows, this has been an emotional journey for you. Whether you're talking the SAG Award, the Golden Globe. In some instances, watching you, it seemed like you were at a loss for words. I think you got a few swear words in, but what have these moments been like for you? I mean, I love the swear words, I just want to say, because they're very real. You know, the people who have been working with me, like Kip, for example, and Sabrina, who does my hair and makeup, when we were in L.A., she says, I've been working with Michelle for 17 years. I have never heard her swear. The first time she heard me swear was on... You're kidding! Yes. When you swore, I'm like, see, that's my girl, I'm not alone. Where did it come from? Jamie Lee Curtis. David Unger, my manager, said, I'm keeping you two apart, okay? But what were those moments like for you? Were they surreal? It is completely overwhelming, because this is the first time I've ever been nominated. And I've been in the business now, I mean, in Hollywood for more than 20-something, 30 years, and first time I get a Golden Globe nomination. I mean, sitting there and praying that they're going to say your name is one thing, and when they do, you are just... those emotions just wash over you. Did you ever think you'd be in this place? You just said you've been performing and you've been in Hollywood movies for the last 20 years, but really, even in films in Asia since the 80s. But here you are today, and you are one of the most recognizable Asian actors in the world. Did you dream to be in this place? No. I don't think I ever started as a little girl thinking, one day I'm going to be an actress, let alone a famous actress. I always went to the cinema with my mom, because she's an avid cinema goer. I think if truth be known, she should have been the actress. This movie is really about mothers and daughters. Truly. Did you carry her in this film? I think I took a lot of her, because she is very much like that mom, you know? If I don't see her for months on end, the first thing she'll say is, why don't you cut your hair? Why didn't you do this? Put on some lipstick. It's that complicated mother-daughter. It's not because there's no love. There's almost too much love. It's the most simple and the most complicated relationship there is. Ever. So when I received the script, that resonated so... it was so powerful. Because even when you read through all that wacky, weird... I mean, yes, you start reading about hotdog fingers and rocks that would... It's a wacky film. It's totally... Are we safe to say it's super wacky? It's super weird and wacky. But I think that was what it was. It allowed you to feel like, oh, this is insane. Because once you open your emotions out to that, when the real emotions come to you, it literally grabs you at the heart, and you go, I feel that love. I feel that kindness. I feel, you know, the mistrust, the anger, and how when we speak out in anger, we lash out at the people that are the closest to us, and we say hurtful things. Well, we know that their love is guaranteed. Yes, that is exactly right. Because no matter what you say, they're not going to go away. They're just going to let you say it, because you're going to get it out of your system. But then we're squandering the most precious relationships. Correct. And it hurts. Did you know? When you read the script, were you like, yep, this is a winner? When I read the script, I was like, yes, finally. I read scripts a lot, but generally all these roles are mainly written for men. As an aging woman, you know, those kind of roles where you as an ordinary woman gets a chance to be us. You are not ordinary. Gets a chance to be extraordinary. That is such a precious, precious gem. And when I read it, it was like, you know, it's all the years that I have trained as an actor. I'm given a chance in this one movie to show you what I am capable of. So it was amazing to get that. But how successful or how it will translate to the world, you can't control that, right? What you can do is when you are filming, that we all pour our love into it, our passion, whatever we can into this little film that has such a big heart and such a big emotion of love and kindness and empathy. So then after that, you literally just open your hands and hopefully it will fly and hopefully it will soar. And it did. And it touched the hearts of so many people here in America. What have viewers told you? People who saw it, what have they told you? I mean, for me, what hit me is the relationship with our aging parents, right? Our impatience around them and not necessarily appreciating what it's like for them trapped in their own bodies. Correct. Yes. See, that's what I loved about the film. It appealed to every person in a different way. It's like sometimes life gets the better of you. And so I think this film reminds us that we are human and it's okay. And it's okay and we have to learn to breathe, live with it and move forward and try not to do it again. You talked about how messages in this film maybe help heal people. Do you feel like it did that for you in your own life? Yes, I think it opened my eyes to a lot of things. It opened my eyes that even now at this age, I am still able to be top of what I'm doing, that I am so happy. I never sort of took a step back and say, you know, this is as good as it gets. That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. Was there any point in your career where you said, this is enough, I've gone far enough, I'm out, I don't want to do this anymore? I didn't think of it that way. I was very disappointed when the roles got smaller. I have been very hardworking. I still work constantly. But I didn't get where, you know, in my younger days where you were the number one or you were the... Why is it that the guys get to be action heroes even when they're older? And why is it women get relegated to the mom that sits at home worrying about whether the father or the hero rescued her children? It didn't make sense to me. But the problem was, and also the other thing was like, why were there not more roles so that we can have a seat at the table? Do you really think things are changing? I mean, for example, it's rare that you see an Asian-led TV show or film break through or get a chance. Do you think that's changing in a significant way? It has changed. Why I'm saying that? I am seeing there are more stories being told. Things that I tried to pitch 10 years ago, 15 years ago, would have been met with like, oh, yeah, very interesting. You know, but maybe the time is not right. So we have not, for the lack of trying, but it was not being received and minds were not that open yet. Because at that point, it was just talk. Just the beginning of what is diversity, inclusivity, you know. Don't always show these people in a very stereotype way. They deserve a life. They deserve to have their dreams and their aspirations, their hopes. What are they? That's what we need to understand. So I see the change. I have seen, I have been watching the change. And I think there's a whole group of us that are pushing for that change. And we can't take our foot off the pedal in that way. With success that you're having right now, some might say, all right, you just achieved it. Now it's time to sit back. Or do you feel like, no, I've got the momentum. Let's rev this engine up. Oh, yeah. This momentum has to keep going forward. We need to say, but this is America as well. Like everything, everywhere, all at once. This is in America. This is an Asian immigrant family in America. And we have to hold up the mirror to ourselves and to our society and say, we are all here. And we're all here together. People say, oh, awards don't matter, but the Oscars are coming. Yes, it matters. Hell, it matters a lot. And it's not just mattering to me. It's shining the light on a part of the world of people that looks like me. Who's never been included. So it matters. And, yes, do I want it? Yes, I want it. Not just, yes, for me, but not just for me. But just to say we all can sit at the same table, work together, and tell beautiful stories together. I want it for you, too. Oh, my God. I'm going to tell Jimmy I met another sister. I'm so glad that I met you. Oh, my gosh. You are an incredible woman. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for sitting down with me. Thank you. Gosh, I'm so sorry. ♪♪