MALAYSIAN-born actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh added another glittering milestone to her storied career on Wednesday, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The honour comes two years after Yeoh made history in 2023 as the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, a breakthrough widely regarded as a defining moment for representation in global cinema.
Dressed in a vibrant, flowing yellow gown, the 63-year-old screen icon was joined at the unveiling ceremony by acclaimed directors Ang Lee and Jon M. Chu, according to NBC.
In her acceptance speech, Yeoh said she had never imagined her name would one day be etched into the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard.
"The star may carry one name, but it represents so many people who made this journey possible," she said, dedicating the honour to the supporters, collaborators and fans who stood by her throughout her decades-long career.
The ceremony was marked by warmth, admiration and a touch of humour.
Lee, who directed Yeoh in the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, jokingly asked the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce: "What took so long?"
He praised her discipline, resilience and unwavering professionalism, adding that future generations of filmmakers would continue to draw inspiration from her legacy.
Chu, who worked with Yeoh on Crazy Rich Asians and the upcoming Wicked films, described her as a "beacon of hope and possibility." He said she carries herself with the effortless dignity of royalty and called her Oscar victory a "generational shift" for Asian excellence in cinema.
Yeoh’s rise to international stardom began in the 1980s and 1990s in Hong Kong’s high-octane action film industry. A classically trained ballet dancer, she became renowned for performing her own stunts at a time when few women were cast in leading action roles.
Her global breakthrough came in 1997 when she starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. That role paved the way for a career that would eventually culminate in her critically acclaimed performance in the multi-Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once.
From Hong Kong action sets to Hollywood’s most prestigious stage, Yeoh’s latest honour cements her status not only as a trailblazer for Asian actors, but as one of cinema’s most enduring global stars.