It's our responsibility as filmmakers to tell a story that's a human drama.
— Michelle Yeoh
It's all choreographed; it's a routine. So I told everyone I really wanted to try fighting in action films. I had no stunt experience, but I had the dance background, and I was very agile and coordinated. And the best thing about being a newcomer to acting is you can afford to try new things.
I think that learning Burmese has to have been one of the most challenging things that I have had to do for a movie.
I want to be there for all those who are left behind in this world, whether it's because they are born poor, born a woman, or born in an area affected by devastation.
It's very important that I'm approaching a character that I've either not played before, or I can give it a different take.
I have very supportive parents who said, 'Go and do what you want to do. Home is always here for you, and if you don't like it out there, come back. You can always do something different.' So when you have an option like that, you are able to choose roles or choose the things you want to be in.
When you face up to bad things in the past, the most important thing is not to allow them to happen today or in the future, and as storytellers, we must play our part in that.
In Europe and America, you never see a director pick up a camera. They all sit behind monitors.
When I made my first film, it was just an adventure. But after my first movie, I guess I got more of a feeling of what was happening around me.
Unfortunately, many parents reject helmets for their kids out of a mistaken perception that helmets are unsafe for children.
I gravitate towards roles where women find strength in very difficult, uncompromising situations but maintain clarity in mind, discipline at heart, and a certain strength in spirit.
Jackie Chan is like a big bro to me.
When you're a teenager, you could do a lot more crazy things, and your body recovers faster.
I did ballet, piano and all that - my brother did martial arts, my passion.
I went to the Gobi Desert, even though I had no scenes there. This is the greatness of China, the landscape, even for us.
They won't take you seriously because you are a girl. These guys had to understand that you are just as tough as them, and you have to take them on.
Acting is not just impersonating your character.
As an actor, you can't just imitate someone. You have to get under her skin.
It was like baptism by fire. There was no school for studying acting. You just have to take it upon yourself to learn from your peers. It's about opening your eyes, listening, and watching.
As an actor, you are always looking for roles that will challenge you, and when I came upon Aung San Suu Kyi, it wasn't just about that but also about stepping into the shoes of someone who means so much to millions of people.
I've taken this year to concentrate fully on the promotion of 'The Lady.' This movie has been so meaningful; until we have premiered in every part of the world and encouraged as many people as possible to shine the spotlight on the Burmese people and Daw Suu, I will not have a next project.
If you were ever a ballerina, you know the pain: just to be able to look like it's all so light, but when they take off their shoes, it's all bloody.
With an award like the Asian Film Awards, we've sent a message saying that 'Asian Cinema is here, it matters, and more importantly, we are all part of the same fraternity!' The AFA is truly, then, an award for Asia, by Asia.
When it is real person, especially who means so much to millions of people, you have an obligation, you cannot take liberties, you cannot pretend to know. But we are telling the love story of Michael Aris and his wife, the story of a beautiful, lush country, and the emotions of a mother.
Playing a sinner is very liberating!
Every time I choose to do a movie, I make the decision because of what I think I can learn from it.
Sometimes when I'm on the phone, someone will say, 'Yes, Mr. Yeoh.' And I'm thinking, 'I'm not Mr. Yeoh, man.'
In many ways, I feel I'm still as physically fit as I was 20 years ago because I've always been athletic.
I love action films, and to be able to put together 'Silver Hawk' was so exciting.
I don't plan to go out and do action or not do action.
Action shouldn't just be seeing all those crashes. You can blow up a cathedral; next time you blow up the Great Wall of China, and then what? But when you're in love with your characters, the smallest action becomes an important action.
Why do we have 'Transformers 5 or 6?' Because young kids will go and see it four or five times.
I was struck by Suu Kyi's warmth and generosity. No matter how petite she looks, she exudes amazing strength. More than anything else, I felt like I already knew her, like she was an old friend, because I'd been watching her so intently, and she was exactly what I had figured she would be.
There might never be another 'Crouching Tiger.' There might be something that's even better than 'Crouching Tiger.'
I gathered as much reading material about Aung San Suu Kyi and about Burma as I could. And I read every article and every book she had written. I also had 200 hours of footage of her to watch. I tried to discover who were her heroes and where he desire and strength to pursue democracy in a non-violent fashion came from.
I had an amazing teacher, who was Burmese, and she was living in Paris at the time, and she is one of very few who doesn't actually receive a credit in the film because she still has family over there.
'The Lady' is an incredible love story about how a family was cut off from each other, about sacrifice, about the ability to put the needs of million of people before your own.
I believe that the director is really the soul. It is a collaborative effort, but the director is the one who needs to have that vision. It could be a great script, but it starts from there. You need to have good material, at least, but if you don't have someone with vision, it's just words.
We have to make movies where we do not think this is for the American market or this is for the Chinese market. We have to make a good movie that anyone would just want to sit down and watch because love, language, culture transcend everything.
Raising awareness for Nepal was and still is an important role for me.
For me, the director is the most important thing. He is steering the boat. If you don't trust him, you won't be able to give him your all.
The first one I did was an action film with Sammo Hung and George Lam, but I had the usual female role for that time: you know, damsel in distress, rescued by the hero.
Today, tomorrow and every day, we will see at least 2,000 young children killed or seriously injured on the world's roads. This is unacceptable, preventable, and we have to stop it. We have the vaccines for this disease: helmets, seatbelts, speed enforcement, safe road design. We just need to use them.
When someone acknowledges you for something that they think about you, it's a huge compliment.
I love my martial arts and action movies. They give another dimension to the acting world: the emotional plus the physical.
To be a geisha, you have to have to an iron-clad layer around you - around your physical body and your heart.
I believe all of us want to do good for our country.
In one take, I had to do 24 combat sequences, which is hard. It makes you think, 'I'd better get on my toes again.'
Movies cater to what the audiences want.
Playing Aung San Suu Kyi was a journey in itself. She represents many things for many people and for many reasons. Although I have played many important roles in my life, I can say that this role has been a journey of self-realisation.
