The 15 Best Michelle Yeoh Roles

Michelle Yeoh has built a remarkable body of work across action spectacle, intimate drama, science fiction, and television—often performing her own stunts and bringing precision to every role. Her filmography spans Hong Kong action classics, global blockbusters, and acclaimed streaming series, reflecting a career defined by range and longevity.

Below is a curated tour of standout roles that showcase her versatility—legendary wuxia warriors, steely modern professionals, and richly drawn mentors among them. Each entry highlights the essential context, collaborators, and character details that make these performances key stops in Yeoh’s career.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022) – Evelyn Wang

In ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner pulled into a multiverse collision during a chaotic IRS audit. The role blends martial-arts choreography with bilingual family dynamics and surreal genre twists, with Yeoh carrying the film through action beats, deadpan humor, and emotionally grounded scenes opposite Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu.

The production was written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, with stunt design that nods to classic Hong Kong action while using creative in-camera transitions. Yeoh’s performance anchors the narrative’s shifting tones as Evelyn toggles between alternate-life skillsets, from movie-star elegance to kung fu mastery, all while navigating generational conflict with her daughter.

‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000) – Yu Shu Lien

In Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, Yeoh portrays Yu Shu Lien, a seasoned warrior entangled in the fate of a legendary sword and a runaway aristocrat. The film features wire-assisted wuxia choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, intricate swordplay, and expansive desert and courtyard sequences that became global reference points for the genre.

Yeoh trained extensively for the role and performed multiple complex combat sequences, many opposite Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi. The film’s international success introduced broader audiences to Mandarin-language martial-arts epics, with Yeoh’s character serving as a moral and tactical center during shifting allegiances and political undercurrents.

‘Police Story 3: Super Cop’ (1992) – Inspector Jessica Yang

‘Police Story 3: Supercop’ pairs Yeoh’s Inspector Jessica Yang with Jackie Chan’s Chan Ka-Kui on an undercover assignment targeting a drug syndicate. The film is known for practical stunt design—motorcycle-to-train jumps, rooftop chases, and close-quarters fights—that showcase Yeoh’s athleticism and timing in ensemble action.

Directed by Stanley Tong, the production integrates location work across multiple countries and set pieces engineered for on-camera risk. Yeoh’s character is positioned as a fully capable co-lead with operational authority, coordinating infiltration strategies and field maneuvers while matching Chan’s physical comedy with crisp, straight-ahead execution.

‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997) – Wai Lin

In the James Bond entry ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, Yeoh plays Wai Lin, a Chinese intelligence operative who partners with 007 during a media-driven geopolitical crisis. The role emphasizes tactical competence—hand-to-hand sequences, rappel work, and motorcycle pursuits—framed through inter-agency coordination rather than a traditional damsel dynamic.

The production shot across multiple international locations and outfitted Wai Lin with specialized gadgets and field hardware comparable to MI6 resources. Yeoh’s character leads key operations on the antagonist’s stealth vessel and uses cover identities and surveillance workflows that align with the film’s newsroom-and-signal-intercept storyline.

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ (2018) – Eleanor Young

In ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, Yeoh’s Eleanor Young is the matriarch managing family legacy, business interests, and social obligations in Singapore’s elite circles. The script draws on intergenerational expectations, with Eleanor implementing family-governance norms around marriage, inheritance, and public image.

Production design emphasizes heritage properties, formalwear rituals, and society events, giving Eleanor’s scenes a framework of protocol and quiet authority. Yeoh’s character operates through precise conversation, strategic hospitality, and boundary-setting, defining the stakes for newcomers entering a tightly managed family structure.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (2017–2024) – Philippa Georgiou

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ introduces Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou of the USS Shenzhou and later as her mirror-universe counterpart, an emperor displaced into the prime timeline. The role spans command-bridge leadership, mirror-empire political survival, and temporal-jurisdiction storylines that intersect with Section 31.

The series employs large-scale set builds, starship UI systems, and stunt-driven boarding actions, with Yeoh’s character frequently at the center of tactical briefings and away-team engagements. Her arcs explore federation ethics, rehabilitation, and intelligence operations, connecting to cross-series lore through classified missions and time-travel adjudication.

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ (2021) – Ying Nan

In Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, Yeoh portrays Ying Nan, a guardian in the village of Ta Lo who trains the protagonists in ancient techniques and battlefield coordination. The role guides transitions from urban combat to mythical defense strategies involving synchronized formations and specialized weapons.

The production blends choreography with creature effects and large-scale third-act staging. Yeoh’s character provides cultural context for Ta Lo’s protective practices, introduces lore on the Ten Rings’ history, and coordinates defensive lines alongside Michelle Yeoh–led instruction sequences that prepare the team for an existential incursion.

‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ (2005) – Mameha

In ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, Yeoh’s Mameha mentors the protagonist through formal arts training—dance, music, tea ceremony, and social etiquette—within a Kyoto hanamachi. The film details apprenticeship structures, okiya economics, and contract obligations, showing how professional standing is built through patronage and public appearances.

Costume and production design emphasize kimono layering systems, hairstyling protocols, and performance venues, with Mameha directing career decisions and negotiating terms with house managers. Yeoh’s scenes map the mechanics of reputation-building and the careful sequencing of debuts, lessons, and events required to secure status.

‘The Lady’ (2011) – Aung San Suu Kyi

‘The Lady’ centers on Aung San Suu Kyi’s political life and years under house arrest, focusing on family separation, nonviolent organizing, and diplomatic pressures. Yeoh’s portrayal tracks public addresses, party work, and international recognition alongside logistical constraints imposed on communications and movement.

Directed by Luc Besson, the film reconstructs key residences, rallies, and press interactions while depicting security cordons and the legal conditions surrounding detention. Yeoh’s performance incorporates language work and archival-based public-speaking cadence, aligning the character’s schedule and risks with the realities of sustained political opposition.

‘Yes, Madam!’ (1985) – Inspector Ng

‘Yes, Madam!’ casts Yeoh as Inspector Ng, a CID officer pursuing a criminal ring tied to a stolen document. The film helped establish the “girls-with-guns” cycle, featuring hard-hitting choreography, glass-smash gags, and rapid-cut police action staged in office towers, hotels, and marketplaces.

Directed by Corey Yuen, the production pairs Yeoh with Cynthia Rothrock, allowing dual-operator tactics and mirrored set pieces. Yeoh’s character demonstrates procedural work—surveillance, suspect handling, and chain-of-evidence hurdles—before closing with an extended multi-level fight that leverages stairwells, railings, and improvised weapons.

‘Wing Chun’ (1994) – Yim Wing Chun

In ‘Wing Chun’, Yeoh plays the titular martial artist defending her village’s businesses against predatory gangs. The film integrates comedic misunderstandings around gender roles with structured challenge bouts and weapon demonstrations, including staff and butterfly-sword techniques.

The choreography emphasizes centerline theory and sticky-hands exchanges adapted for cinematic rhythm. Yeoh’s portrayal tracks training hall etiquette, local commerce concerns, and community defense planning, situating the character as a protector whose skillset is applied to dispute resolution as much as to direct confrontation.

‘Tai-Chi Master’ (1993) – Siu Lin

‘Tai Chi Master’ features Yeoh as Siu Lin, an ally to two Shaolin brothers who diverge onto rival paths before one codifies internal martial principles. Her character navigates shifting allegiances in a city under corrupt governance, contributing tactical support during uprisings and street-level engagements.

With fight direction by Yuen Woo-ping, the film showcases transitions from external to internal power, including rope-dart, staff, and ensemble brawls that move across temples and marketplaces. Siu Lin functions as a connective figure among rebels, channeling local networks and resources to support the protagonists’ evolving strategies.

‘The Stunt Woman’ (1996) – Ah Kam

In ‘The Stunt Woman’ (also released as ‘Ah Kam’), Yeoh plays a newcomer working in Hong Kong’s stunt community, covering wirework, fall coordination, and second-unit logistics. The story depicts production risks, safety briefings, and the economics of stunt teams as they shift between action genres and directors.

Directed by Ann Hui, the film includes sequences inspired by real on-set practices, from rooftop chases to vehicle gags, and incorporates industry jargon around rigging and cue timing. Yeoh’s role reflects the managerial side of stunt work—negotiating rates, assessing hazards, and planning coverage—alongside the physical demands of doubling and rehearsals.

‘Reign of Assassins’ (2010) – Zeng Jing (Drizzle)

In ‘Reign of Assassins’, Yeoh’s Zeng Jing, formerly known as Drizzle, attempts to leave a clandestine killer sect and live under a new identity. The plot revolves around the contested remains of a martial monk, with factions deploying coded messages, trap-laden courtyards, and specialized blades.

Co-directed by Su Chao-bin with John Woo’s involvement, the production blends character-driven romance with stylized duels, including alleyway ambushes and precision projectile work. Yeoh’s character handles identity concealment, counter-surveillance, and withdrawal plans, while her past skills are reactivated as rival assassins close in.

‘American Born Chinese’ (2023) – Guanyin (Auntie)

In the series ‘American Born Chinese’, Yeoh appears as Guanyin, presenting herself as an unassuming aunt while advising a teenager entangled with mythic figures from ‘Journey to the West’. Her scenes balance everyday suburban rhythms with divine mentorship, guiding a plan to manage supernatural spillover at a public high school.

The show weaves mythology with contemporary adolescence, using VFX creature designs, hallway action beats, and cultural-club settings. Yeoh’s character coordinates safe cover stories, mediates conflicts among celestial visitors, and lays out rules that bridge folklore with modern social dynamics.

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