Malaysian celebrity Michelle Yeoh has broken many glass ceilings thanks to the box office and critical success of Everything Everywhere All At Once. (Photo: Getty Images)
By Natascha Joibi
Malaysian star Michelle Yeoh broke another glass ceiling for a “ninja kick” on February 26 by winning the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for her starring role in the box office hit Everything Everywhere All At Once.
And with her mantel running out of space and the hum growing louder, it seems almost inevitable that the girl from Ipoh, Malaysia – the first Malaysian and second Asian to compete for the Best Actress Oscar – will walk away with the coveted award Trophy arrives March 12th at the 95th Academy Awards and will make history for her name.
But while it’s her portrayal of Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Wang in Everything, Everywhere at Once that garnered widespread praise, the truth is that Yeoh has been a household name for decades; from indelible marks in Hong Kong films, to breaking into Hollywood as a Bond girl, to film stars in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, among others.
Importantly, Yeoh’s is not the only Malaysian doing big things on the international stage.
Here’s a look at some others who have not only made impressive strides but have become household names.
Yuna – Singing sensation
Malaysian singer Yuna has been nominated for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award for her breakout single with Usher, Crush. (Photo: Associated Press)
Yunalis Mat Zara’ai aka Yuna is a singer-songwriter like no other, with a musical style that transcends genres and has garnered her critical acclaim in both Malaysia and the United States.
To date, she has worked with Grammy winner Pharrell Williams; performed at Lollapalooza, Coachella and South by Southwest (SXSW) and found herself in the company of pop luminaries like Beyoncé, Rihanna and John Legend when her album Chapters was ranked among Billboard’s Best R&B Albums of 2016.
She even went down in history as the first Malaysian to be nominated for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) award for her breakout single with Usher, Crush.
Incidentally, Yuna has been open about maintaining her faith and hijab despite the pressure on successful artists to look a certain way.
The story goes on
Ronny Chieng — Jester correspondent
Ronny Chieng has gone from being a correspondent for the Daily Show to starring in Hollywood hits like Crazy Rich Asians. He is seen here with Late Show host Stephen Colbert. (Photo: Getty Images)
A stand-up comedian best known for his work on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Johor Bahru, Malaysian-born Ronny Chieng has come a long way. And if the stars align, he could go even further.
As the third culture kid growing up in Singapore, moving to Australia to attend university and then moving on to the US, Chieng wasn’t always sure if comedy was for him. But he finally found his calling during his studies in Australia. And then he caught the eye of Trevor Noah, who invited him to appear at a comedy festival in 2013 and later hired him on The Daily Show.
Now, Chieng finds himself with starring roles in Hollywood movies (he’s been in Crazy Rich Asian and Shang-Chi with Michelle Yeoh) and two Netflix stand-up specials under his belt.
And who knows? He might even be up for the Daily Show host job. Fingers crossed.
Henry Golding – Borneo heartthrob
He won’t be the next James Bond, but Henry Golding has made his mark since Crazy Rich Asians. (Photo: Getty Images)
Another former Crazy Rich Asians, British-Malaysian Henry Golding rose to fame after starring as the laid-back Nick Young in this award-winning film. And since then he’s been on an ascending path, shattering barriers left, right and center.
For example, he’s the first Asian to be named GQ’s “Men of the Year” cover star.
However, did you know that this hairdresser-turned-heartthrob was born into the Iban tribe of Sarawak? an ethnic group on the island of Borneo? In fact, Golding’s journey of self-discovery in his Iban homeland was documented in the Discovery series Surviving Borneo.
However, these days it’s all about interesting movie roles. Hence a long list of hits, including “A Simple Favor,” “Last Christmas,” and “The Gentlemen,” and the actor took the opportunity to show off his acting skills when he portrayed the title character in the GI Joe spinoff, “Snake Eyes.” ‘ played.
But while the world does seem to be Golding’s oyster right now, he’s had to quash a stubborn rumor with numerous acting offers – that he won’t be the next James Bond.
Nigel Ng – Everyone’s Asian uncle
The self-proclaimed fried rice enthusiast “Uncle Roger” is Nigel’s leading man in many of his performances. (Photo: Nigel Ng/Facebook)
Uncle Roger is his stage name and beating up Jamie Oliver is his game.
Nigel Ng, in case you didn’t know, is a stand-up comedian, actor and YouTube star. But the guy really got famous when, at the height of the pandemic, he released a wild reaction video to British cooking show host Hersha Patel draining rice with a colander. That was the birth of the overly critical rice connoisseur Uncle Roger.
But while it’s Ng’s parody of an old-fashioned Asian uncle in an orange polo t-shirt that has garnered him a worldwide following of millions, he’s a fine comedian himself.
He has performed at comedy clubs and festivals across the UK, USA, Australia, Singapore and of course Malaysia. He even has his own comedy podcast called HAIYAA where he surprisingly talks a lot about interior design.
By the way, bet you didn’t know that Ng is an engineering grad who worked as a data scientist for various tech startups before turning to comedy full-time.
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