28
I really, really wanted to start a family.
That was my new career move.
In 1990, life looked very differentfor Michelle Yeoh.
But after several failed attempts, Yeoh discovered that having children wasnt in the cards.
If multiverses exist, perhaps theres a world where Yeoh never returned to the screen.
But luckily, were not in that one.
Take me back to 1990, when you were 28.
Oh my God, that was a long time ago.
In 1988, I got married to a wonderful man called Dickson Poon.
You took a break from acting until 1992.
Did you miss it, or did you consider pursuing a different career?
No, when I got married, it was a conscious decision to leave acting.
But at that time, it was my choice to leave because Im not a good multitasker.
It blew my mind.
I felt if I continued acting, I’d be constantly away from home.
I couldn’t understand how I could have a full [career while] being married.
I really, really wanted to start a family.
That was my new career move.
I wasn’t thinking, Oh, I have to find another job.
You and Dickson are no longer married.
As it turned out, I was unable [to have children].
You deal with the curveballs that are thrown at you.
How did you get back into acting?
They don’t think that you have gone away.
I said, Oh, really?
Because you know how fickle our business is.
So I put it out there in the universe and said maybe I should come back.
In your 20s and 30s, did you feel pressured to only take on certain kinds of roles?
We just have to allow women to be who they are.
Did you have any mentors in the industry?
The first one I met was Sammo Hung, and hes like a big brother.
We’re very blessed nowadays that we have the opportunity to learn about the technical elements of the camera.
So they were all my mentors.
Every time I walked onto set, I was learning from the stunt person, from the makeup artists.
Because I didn’t go to film school, and I didn’t have real drama lessons.
I literally just had to keep my ears and eyes opened, and be like a sponge.
Along the way, people have been very generous in teaching me.
In the movie, Evelyn sees all of these different lives that she could have lived.
If you weren’t an actor, what job would you have wanted to do?
Oh God, I don’t sit down and think of that.
But I could never decide on what to do.
I would love to be able to go into documentary filmmaking.
I didone on the orangutans in East Malaysiain Borneo.
What was your personal style like at 28?
Hong Kong is very chic, so there was a lot of pressure.
Don’t go into somebody’s house with sneakers and think that’s casual.
But I loved it.
I mean, fashion is clothes and jewelry, and back then it had a texture to it.
Fashion makes you an individual person, and its how you put it together that speaks to you.
It’s like, that nose ring you have is so cute.
Im sure your mom didnt think so, though.
Oh, thank you.
Yes, she wasnt thrilled about it.
You think youre a cow or a bull?
That is exactly what she said.
I come from that generation, I totally get it.
What was the soundtrack to your life back then?
Because the lyrics are truly, truly, truly romantic.
It sets a different ambience.
I remember the first song when I got to Hong Kong was a song by George Lam.
What advice would you give your 28-year-old self?
Because it’s a journey that you have to go through.
Even in hindsight, saying, Don’t get married!
Don’t do it?
No, it’s this path that made me who I am today.
But it’s okay.
You still have to walk it and dream it.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
This article was originally published onMarch 31, 2022
