Everything Everywhere All at Once might have been a different movie if Michelle Yeoh had listened to critics. Yeoh said she had been told she should retire by numerous people before landing the role that would secure her an Oscar nomination.
Everything Everywhere All at Once has been a critical darling since its release last year. The non-traditional film concerns an Asian American immigrant, Evelyn Wang (Yeoh), who realizes she's caught in a war for cosmic balance. The story takes Yeoh across the multiverse, which means she played wildly disparate Evelyns, including a version with sausages for fingers and even a version that exists as a pet rock.
While appearing on The Envelope podcast hosted by the Los Angeles Times, Yeoh recalled how the roles she was offered were smaller as she got older. “You know, as you get older, the roles get smaller. It seems like the numbers go up and these things go narrow and then you start getting relegated to the side more and more," Yeoh said. "So when Everything Everywhere came… it was very emotional because this means that you are the one who’s leading this whole process, who’s telling the story.” She went on to say, “You know, as you get older, people start saying, ‘Oh yeah, you should retire. You should do this. You should…’ No, guys. Do not tell me what to do. I should be in control of what I am capable of, right?”
Yeoh's involvement in the film was pivotal, as she helped shape Evelyn's identity. Yeoh almost quit over her Everything Everywhere All At Once character's name. The character was originally named Michelle, like herself, but Yeoh insisted that the character be given her own name. Rather than try to emulate the character and relate to her on a personal level, Yeoh wanted to craft an identity for the character that was all her own.
The move is just a showcase of Yeoh's acting abilities. Yeoh's Oscar nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once is well-earned. Yeoh's portrayal is emotional, vulnerable, and fully developed. Her ability to transform into a wildly disparate person is the core of what acting is all about, and it seems that Yeoh understood that when she insisted on developing a unique identity for her character. Rather than play a role that's comfortable for her, Yeoh wanted to play a role that challenged her.
Yeoh, who recently received an award from TIFF for her Everything Everywhere All at Once performance, is also inspiring for her insistence on being in control of her capabilities. In Hollywood, there are few main roles for older women of color, and the comments Yeoh received about retirement were likely colored by this perception. But Yeoh decided to continue on her own accord, and movie history has benefited greatly from it.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: The Envelope