Michelle Yeoh has been identified for starring in motion films for many years, however do you know there was a time in her life, nearly 30 years in the past, when she nearly hung it up utterly? Simply forward of Yeoh’s Hollywood debut as one of many “Bond ladies”, the actress was in a life-threatening stunt accident that had her rethinking her profession. Nonetheless, a gathering with Quentin Tarantino (of all folks) really impressed her to maintain going.
On the age of 62, the actress’ profession is greater than ever, between her 2023 Oscar win and all of the upcoming Michelle Yeoh films. Nonetheless, she just lately mirrored on her traumatic accident that just about altered the course of her profession, saying:
I had a very unhealthy accident making — I wished to pay homage to the stunt folks, so we made a film referred to as The Stunt Girl, and in taking pictures that, I used to be pushed over a flyover. And we had performed the huge shot, the place I landed. It was all good. Then we wished to do a close-up, and the autumn was possibly from there [points to column above]. However I didn’t anticipate — the push was so arduous. And I tumbled over and nose-dived — and we used cardboard bins. … And all I bear in mind was my head acquired jammed into the bins, and my legs got here from behind and I heard this [claps] in my again. I flipped over.
Earlier than Yeoh turned a Hollywood star, she rose to fame with a sequence of Hong Kong motion movies within the ‘80s and ‘90s that notably had her working alongside Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Donnie Yen and Jet Li. Nonetheless, as she defined on The Graham Norton Present, she suffered a severe accident whereas attempting to perform a stunt from an overpass to a transferring truck. As she continued:
I used to be within the hospital. I had a full forged on, after which, I used to be again house, attempting to get better. And, while you get injured, that’s essentially the most miserable time of your life, since you are helpless. You possibly can’t do something. And I believe, at that time, I used to be pondering, ‘Perhaps I ought to simply rethink this complete motion factor. Perhaps it’s time to take a step again, possibly do one thing else. I don’t know.’
One wouldn’t blame Yeoh for hanging all of it up after being confronted with a near-death expertise like that. Nonetheless, a go to from the director behind Kill Invoice and Pulp Fiction helped her put issues into perspective. In her phrases:
It was at that time when Quentin got here to city. And you realize Quentin, he’s very decided to do sure issues. And, when he got here to Hong Kong, he mentioned I need to meet Jackie [Chan], Jet [Li] and Michelle. So he met with our guys, and I mentioned, ‘OK.’ So I’m sitting in the lounge with my neckbrace, very regular. And all of the sudden, I see this enormous man come bounding down the steps. ‘Hey, Michelle!’ Then he picks up a pillow, throws it on the bottom, actually simply sits at my toes and begins to speak about my films and what impressed him and going body from body to the primary motion sequence I’d ever performed, going by a pane of glass and all that. So, as I spoke with him, I noticed — and I began getting very excited — after which subsequent factor, my folks had been like, ‘Are you able to please cease waving your arms round and simply sit nonetheless?’ After which I noticed it’s true. Whenever you love one thing, you simply can’t hand over on it, so I’ve Quentin to thank for that, as a result of he introduced all of it again to a realization – be sensible, don’t hand over. Simply discover a correct means of doing it.
Quentin Tarantino has lengthy vocally been an enormous fan of Michelle Yeoh and a few of her Hong Kong movies. He even referred to as a stunt sequence she did in 1992’s Supercop “the best stunts ever filmed in any film ever.”
As Michelle Yeoh recollects, when Tarantino visited Hong Kong within the ‘90s, he arrange a gathering with herself, together with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Throughout her assembly with him, he helped her notice how a lot she loves her job and it impressed her to not let her accident put a wrench in her profession.
Within the few years after the discharge of The Stunt Girl, Michelle Yeoh had a number of the largest films of her profession. She was in Tomorrow By no means Dies with Pierce Brosnan’s 007 and she or he starred in 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as nicely. Think about if she had stop earlier than having these experiences? She would have missed out on a lot.
Regardless of Quentin Tarantino’s love for Yeoh, the pair have by no means labored collectively. When the actress as soon as requested him why she wasn’t forged in Kill Invoice, he cleverly quipped “Who would imagine that Uma Thurman may kick your ass?” Right here’s hoping these two do work collectively sometime. Within the meantime, you’ll be able to see Yeoh when the Star Trek: Part 31 launch date comes on January 24 and see her within the Depraved forged as Madame Morrible.