Michelle Yeoh, the Oscar-winning actress whose credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Everything Everywhere All At Once, is to receive the honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlinale opening ceremony in February.
Yeoh, who was a member of the Berlinale international jury in 1999, rose to prominence with films such as Yes, Madam, Royal Warriors, Police Story III and Wing Chun, becoming a leading female figure in Asian action and martial arts cinema.
Her international breakthrough came in 1997 with her role as Chinese secret agent Wai Lin in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, followed by Ang Lee’s 2000 feature Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
She won the Oscar for best actress in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All at Once, becoming the first actress of Asian descent to win in this category.
Yeoh will next appear as Madame Morrible in Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu, which is released next week.
In 2026, Yeoh will appear in Prime Video’s TV series Blade Runner 2099, executive produced by Ridley Scott, and action thriller The Surgeon, directed by Roshan Sethi.
Yeoh said: “Berlin has always held a special place in my heart. It was one of the first festivals to embrace my work with such warmth and generosity. Returning after all these years, in recognition of my journey in cinema, feels truly meaningful.”
“Michelle Yeoh is a visionary artist and performer whose work defies boundaries ‒ whether geographic, linguistic or cinematic,” said Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle. “Her commanding presence, fearless artistic choices and unmistakable style have left a lasting impression on generations of filmmakers and fans at the Berlinale and across the globe.”
Past recipients of the honorary Golden Bear include Helen Mirren, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg and Tilda Swinton.
The Berlinale runs from February 12-22.
No comments yet