News | Tuesday, 14th March 2023

Manchester Metropolitan alumna wins Best Actress Oscar

Actress graduated with a BA in Creative Arts in 1983

Michelle Yeoh, who won this year’s Oscar for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Creative Arts with a minor in Drama in 1983.

The actress has become the first south-east Asian performer to win the award for her role as laundromat manager Evelyn Wang in the comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, Michelle defeated strong competition, including from Cate Blanchett for Tár and Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans. 

Never dreaming of becoming a film actress, her passion was ballet, but a career-ending back injury ended any hopes of becoming a professional dancer.  

Shortly after graduating, Michelle went home for the summer and won the Miss Malaysia beauty contest.

She then rose to fame in the 1990s after appearing in a series of Hong Kong action films. 

Moving to the US, Michelle carved out a successful career in film, starring in box office hits including: Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha. 

Already attracting considerable attention during this awards season for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle dedicated her award to “all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight”. She continued: “This is the beacon of hope and possibility. Dreams do come true.” 

Manchester Metropolitan University officially opened the Grosvenor East Building recently, a new creative hub for Arts and Humanities dedicated to training the next generation of performers, writers, journalists and linguists. Grosvenor East is home to the Manchester School of Theatre whose famous alumni includes Steve Coogan, Zawe Ashton and Julie Walters, and continues to deliver the University's drama courses.