The 60-year-old, female, Asian actor has been making headlines for playing Evelyn Wang in the same-titled hit film by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known as "the Daniels"), for which she became the first Asian winner of a SAG award and second Asian winner of a Golden Globe for best actress.
Now, she is also the first Asian to receive an Oscar for best actress in a lead role."For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof to dream big and dreams do come true," said Yeoh as she accepted her award.She was already noted as the first "Asian-identifying Oscar nominee," a distinction made because she was preceded by "The Dark Angel" lead Merle Oberon, who was nominated in 1935 without winning — and reportedly hid her South Asian heritage.Long famous in the Hong Kong film industry, Yeoh was known for performing her own stuntsImage.Yeoh's winning streak has made her a role model to people of color, Asians and women, especially those of a "certain age" — an aspect to which she also alluded to in her Oscars speech: "Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you’re ever past your prime."