Everything Everywhere All At Once challenged Michelle Yeoh to look less cool
The genre- and multiverse-hopping A24 hit posed new challenges for Michelle Yeoh, even after decades on screen
Aux News Michelle Yeoh
Upon its release in March, Everything Everywhere All At Once immediately became one of the top films of the year, lauded for its maximalist aesthetic blended with intimate storytelling. Directed by Swiss Army Man’s Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, it’s all anchored by Michelle Yeoh, who takes on a once-in-a-lifetime role as Evelyn Wang, an ordinary laundromat owner trying to do her taxes when she’s suddenly confronted with different versions of herself from across the multiverse.
Of course, parts of the film leaned into Yeoh’s background as a martial arts star. While she certainly got to show off her skills, this role proved to be different from her previous work in an unusual way.
“…In the action movies, I’m generally the one who’s always in control, the mentor, the teacher,” the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star describes in The Hollywood Reporter’s new actress roundtable. “And in this one, obviously, Evelyn has no clue what she’s doing. She’s a failure in everything, which makes her so vulnerable and wonderful to play because she doesn’t give up. I go to this universe where I’m a kung fu master, and then I come back to this. And so, I’m doing all the moves, fighting with Jamie Lee Curtis, right? And that’s a lot of fun. Then the Daniels come up to me and say, ‘Michelle, you can’t look like you know what you’re doing.’ I’m like, ‘What does that mean?’ Then, ‘Yes, of course. Evelyn Wang doesn’t know.’”
It takes a rare talent to have to be told to look less cool! Despite acclaimed performances across the board, Yeoh is also humble enough to note the rock universe as her favorite, even though she and co-star Stephanie Hsu are not seen or heard in the sequence.
“It was completely out of my comfort zone,” Yeoh continues. “I was suddenly doing comedy, physical comedy, action, horror, every single genre all packed into one, and jumping in and out of it. It was such a gratifying experience. I’ve waited a long time to receive a script like that. Because, as you get older, the box gets smaller and smaller.”
Yeoh will next be seen in The Witcher: Blood Origin, premiering December 25 on Netflix.
23 Comments
I’m going to be disappointed when this film doesn’t win the Best Picture Oscar.
Yeah, it was nice when Parasite won a few years ago, but that means we’re probably another two or three years out from the Academy accidentally getting it right again.
Really what do you think will beat it out? It seems like the type that’ll steal BP to me unless there’s some Top Gun shenanigans. Maybe Tar?
I’d wager The Fabelmans.
Bite your tongue.
I feel like it’s gonna be one of those years where EEATO is gonna be nominated for a lot of stuff.
Seems like the kind of film that will get a bunch of nominations but only win the technical awards (and maybe one for Yeoh).
Right? Just rewatched it today for the first time since seeing it in theaters in April and it still makes me feel exhilarated. It’s really a magnificent cinematic achievement for the budget and yet, it won’t win BP.
Academy season has begun! Let the award-trolling puff pieces for movies that left theaters 5 months ago commence! One more article about how difficult it was for Olivia Wilde to wrangle a dramatic performance from Nick Kroll and the girl from NBC’s Heroes, please!
And your clicks and impressions help feed the machine.
This is a dumb gimmick and you should feel embarrassed for wasting your life on it.
Shut it. I don’t come down to where you work and dip your dumb dick in the fryer. You’re sadder than Dyan Cannon.
Lol calm down child.
Hear me out. I do this as a lark to make it through the mind-numbing monotony of a 9-5 desk job. I’m entertaining myself and getting some creative weight-lifting out of it, which helps me with the 9-5. Is it amazing? Fuck no! But I’m not doing it for money or with the intended purpose of entertaining you or anyone else. I’m NOT GOOD at this!
a a writing exercise I’m forcing myself to be Gene Shalitt until the end of March. Now understand, my only purposes are to use this as a break from other writing and, starting yesterday, fitting Dyan Cannon into as many replies as possible.
You proved your point. My comment sucked. Better still, you got to tell me to “calm down” which, to be honest, is the mating call of people who don’t have any defense for being an asshole for no reason.
Great work! Now, isn’t it time for you to tell fat people to kill themselves or something?
It’s impossible for Yeoh to look uncool. She even made playing Space Hitler seem kind of awesome. And she ate a sentient being onscreen.
Right?? Like literally the only reason I want that Section 31 spinoff to still happen is because of her.
Whether or not this film wins Best Picture, if Yeoh doesn’t win Best Actress, I will throw a yearlong tantrum.
I’m pretty sure I don’t want to watch any movie involving a multiverse.
I’m pretty sure you have the least valuable critiques in any aspect of the multiverse…yep. I checked.
off-screen she consistently comes across as arrogant and unlikeable!
HELLO? My comment is STILL PENDING? I posted it 12/17/22.
WTF, AVClub? Every comment I’ve posted over the past several weeks is STILL PENDING.
This site clearly has nobody actually checking the pending comments.