Michelle Yeoh has revealed that people were telling her to retire from acting prior to her lead role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Speaking on the latest episode of Los Angeles Times' The Envelope podcast, Yeoh admitted that, as she aged, she felt the acting opportunities starting to diminish but she refused to entertain the suggestion that she "should retire" despite the roles getting smaller.
"As you get older, the roles get smaller," Yeoh said. "It seems like the numbers go up and these things go narrow and then you start getting relegated to the side more and more. So when Everything Everywhere came, all at once it was very emotional because this means that you are the one who's leading this whole process, who's telling the story."
She added, "You know, as you get older, people start saying, 'Oh yeah, you should retire. You should do this. You should –' No, guys. Do not tell me what to do. I should be in control of what I am capable of, right?"
Yeoh's performance in Everything Everywhere is a true encapsulation of the movie's complex yet revealing title. At the center of it all is her portrayal of Evelyn Wang, a stubborn yet loving laundromat owner who is trying to hold her family together across time and space.
The actress praised Everything Everywhere directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for offering her the starring role in the A24 film — a role that has earned her numerous nods and accolades during the current awards season, including her first Oscar nomination.
"The first thing is you feel like, 'Finally, thank you. You guys see me, you guys really see, and you're giving me the opportunity to show that I'm capable of doing all this,'" she said. "As an actor... you need the role that will help you showcase what you are capable to do."
IGN gave Everything Everywhere All at Once a glowing 10/10 review, saying the film "encompasses a variety of subjects, but it does justice to each of them with a carefully written script, marvelous performances, and a healthy dose of bizarre humor to counter its bleak story."
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/michelle-yeoh-told-to-retire-before-everything-everywhere-all-at-once