Michelle Yeoh is expressing her gratitude.
The Wicked star recently shared that during a low point in her career, she considered leaving acting behind—that is until Quentin Tarantino stepped in.
“I was in Hong Kong and depressed as I had had a bad accident while filming a stunt,” Michelle, 62, explained during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, per People. “I felt hopeless and was re-thinking the whole action thing and thought maybe I should take a step back.”
It was then that the Everything Everywhere All At Once star crossed paths with Quentin, who encouraged her to keep going.
“When I met [Tarantino], he was so enthusiastic,” she added, “and said that if you love something you have to find a better way to do it.”
Michelle also shared that, while she and the Pulp Fiction director have never worked together, Quentin revealed the hilarious why he hadn’t cast the Academy Award winner in one of his biggest films.
“When I asked him about Kill Bill and why he hadn’t thought of me,” Michelle explained, “he said, ‘No one would believe Uma Thurman could kick your ass!’”
Thankfully, the actress—who went on to star in action films such as Supercop, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Tomorrow Never Dies—didn’t give up, and even went on to earn her first Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2023.
The win made her the first Asian woman to take home the award for Best Actress, a historic moment she made sure to acknowledge in her acceptance speech.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” the then-60-year-old said onstage at the ceremony. “This is proof that, dream big, and dreams do come true.”
She added, “And ladies don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”
Michelle also made sure to reserve a special shoutout to the one person who she couldn’t have done it without.
“I have to dedicate this to my mom, all the moms in the world, because they are really the superheroes,” she said. “She's 84, and I'm taking this home to her. She's watching right now, in Malaysia with my family and friends. I love you guys, and I'm bringing this home to you.”