Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once Sunday night at the 95th Academy Awards.
The historical win makes Yeoh the first Malaysian to win an Oscar and also the first Southeast Asian actress to win in the category.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Yeoh began her acceptance speech. “This is proof that dreams, dream big and dreams do come true.”
The actress added, “And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you, you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”
Yeoh went on to dedicate the award to her mother who was watching in Malaysia, stating, “I have to dedicate this to my mom, all the moms in the world, because they are really the superheroes, and without them, none of us will be here tonight.”
“Thank you to the Academy, this is history in the making,” she concluded.
The historical win also makes Yeoh, along with Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, the first actors to win for portraying Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese-speaking characters.
Other nominees in the category were Cate Blanchett for her role in Tár, Ana de Armas in Blonde, Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie, and Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans.
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