For Michelle Yeoh, the odd dislocated shoulder or cracked rib is a mere occupational hazard.“Well, you could meet with an accident like that by simply walking on the street,” she says with a nonchalant shrug as she looks back on what has been- despite some serious injuries- a wholly satisfying career. “The risks are worth it,” she concludes. “And after all, how often do you get to jump off a ten storey building or beat the living daylights out of ten men you’re fighting with?”
And no one can argue with that.
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| Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara |
Considering the seemingly impossible martial arts feats that Yeoh performs with remarkable dexterity in the films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Tomorrow Never Dies- among others, it is hardly surprising that she is Hollywood’s most famous stunt actress, and that she is often typecast in roles which call for playing tough.
And this beauty queen and dancer turned choreographer, actress and ambassador enjoys the typecasting. “The most fun I have had is on the set of those fast paced movies,” she says. “Of course, some of these experiences have been memorable because of the accidents but the adrenaline rush is great all the same!”
Aside from the action movies however, it is quite obvious that this actress revels in the experience of playing highly nuanced characters. “There is no escaping the fact,” she explains, “that there is a lot of work involved- a great deal of digging deep enough to really become that character on the screen. Aside from this it is very important to give consideration to the culture you are depicting. You don’t want to make mistakes there.”
Michelle speaks excitedly about her upcoming movie- The Lady- in which she will play the demanding role of Aung San Suu Kyi. Apart from having to learn Burmese for the role, it has also required a great deal of characterization work. “It was not easy at first, trying to get into the mind of someone who is still living but to whom you have no access to. It was not simply a process of identifying Suu Kyi’s mannerisms to make the portrayal look authentic, but also to tap into her emotions and delving into the source of her strong convictions.”
Following the long awaited release of Aung San Suu Kyi on November 13 this year, Yeoh finally got the chance to speak to the iconic politician. “It was not so much to learn more about her as it was a simple, personal wish to meet her. And that meeting was very inspiring for me.”
Taking a break from the screen, Michelle gave her voice for her first animated feature this year, in the sequel to the Dream Works animation Kung Fu Panda which will be released next year.
“It is such a different world!” she exclaims. “I was simply blown away by the thought that the entire team gives to each character and I really like the fact that they have a clear vision of what they want from the voicing artistes. My character is of a soothsayer- a goat,” she laughs, “and I have had an awesome time playing it.”
With her flair for dance, choreography, martial arts and acting Michelle Yeoh is happy and immensely satisfied in her comfort zone as a major Hollywood star. Alongside the talent and her happy-go-lucky outlook, there is also the aspect of strength and endurance. “I once had dreams of being a ballerina and I have a major in ballet,” she explains.
“But a spinal injury spelt the end of that dream. It is difficult when something like that happens when you are young. But I was very lucky- I had people close to me who gave me all the support I needed, and pushed me in the right direction.” Now, Yeoh continues to use her experience of dance in her stunt work.
And after successfully accomplishing death defying acts on the screen- of performing a high speed motorcycle jump on to a moving train in Super Cop (1992) a day after learning to ride a motorbike, Yeoh turns to the real world. A Global Ambassador for road safety, she accompanies her husband Jean Todt, President of Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA) - on a series of road safety awareness programmes conducted by the Automobile Association and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club. “There is so much that needs to be done- particularly in Asia- to make roads safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike,” she says, emphasizing that “the fantasy of the stunt world does not apply to the real world where there are no second chances.” |
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