Michelle Yeoh Image Gallery

Datastream
Actress: Michelle Yeoh
Character: Wai Lin
Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies
Date of Birth: 06/08/62
Height: 5' 4" (1.63 m)
Place of Birth: Ipoh Perak Malaysia
Trivia: Has a Bachelor's Degree in Dance from the Royal Academy of Dance, and is the highest paid actress in Asia.

"I always wanted to work with a decadent agent of a corrupt western power"

Pleased To Meet You
Posing as a reporter for the New China News Agency, Colonel Wai Lin goes undercover to investigate the suspicious circumstances behind hostilities between her country's armed forces and the British Navy. James Bond meets Wai Lin at Elliot Carver's launch party, then during a raid on Carver's laboratory in Hamburg, and again during an underwater reconnaissance of HMS Devonshire before the pair finally team up.

Caught In The Act
Wai Lin rebuffs Bond's advances throughout the film until the final sequence, where the pair make waves on the wreckage of Carver's stealth boat, ignoring "are you there?" calls from the British Navy.

Profile
Not your typical Bond girl, martial arts specialist Michelle Yeoh gives Wai Lin an explosive on-screen presence in Tomorrow Never Dies. Wai Lin is James Bond's opposite number in the Chinese People's External Security Force.

She has access to her own version of Q-Branch equipped with the latest spy gadgets including a version of 007's Omega watch - which she claims has had "a few improvements" made to it. Wai Lin prefers stealth to Bond's contrasting run-and-gun mentality, and equips herself with zip wires and pitons to wall walk and escape buildings undetected. Standard equipment also includes special ear-rings with built in lock picks, which she uses to lose Bond after a chase through the streets of Saigon.

During the raid on Carver's stealth ship, she is captured after destroying the engine room controls and held as a hostage against Bond. Despite her demands to complete the mission, Bond keeps to his promise and later rescues her from drowning after the stealth ship has been destroyed.

Unlike other "Bond equals" that went before her, Wai Lin can actually hold her own and is a very reliable agent, only needing assistance from Bond at the very end of the mission. She is an expert in the martial arts and many of the skills possessed by 007, in equal measure.

Memorable Quotes
Bond: "You were pretty good with that hook."
Wai Lin: "Thanks. It comes from growing up in a rough neighbourhood. You were pretty good with the bike."
Bond: "Thank you. It comes from not growing up at all."

Biography
Of all the action heroines of Hong Kong cinema, Michelle Yeoh stands out in both acting ability, competency in onscreen martial arts, and in her willingness to perform the most daring stunts imaginable. A modeling career drew Malaysian-born Yeoh to Hong Kong, where she appeared in a series of commercials for Pierre Cardin, opposite action heroes Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat. Someone clearly took notice, and she parlayed her modeling career into minor roles in films. She eventually graduated into major parts in dramatic films as well as kung fu epics; however, in 1992 she retired after marrying a prominent Hong Kong tycoon. Three years later, the couple divorced, and Yeoh returned to acting with a vengeance, opposite Jackie Chan in Supercop. In 1996 she received a devastating back injury while playing the title role in a film called The Stunt Woman. While Yeoh recovered, Supercop was released theatrically in the U.S., and her performance was well received. In 1997 she appeared as a newer, tougher breed of Bond girl, in the 007 film Tomorrow Never Dies. Yeoh's scene-stealing performance as a gorgeous Chinese spy managed to breathe new life into an old formula.

Yeoh Choo Kheng was born in Ipoh, Malaysia. At the age of four, Michelle started ballet dancing. She also excelled in athletic events. During her teenage years, Michelle enjoyed playing squash and was also a national competitor in swimming and diving. Michelle achieved a bachelor’s degree in creative arts. She attended London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Michelle minored in drama because she thought that it would help her with expression. Michelle was quite ambitious and was determined to gain a master’s in dancing. While she was living in England, Michelle explored contemporary, jazz and ballet dancing. Unfortunately, her professional dancing career ended when she encountered a serious injury. Her doctor advised her not to do any stressful physical activities in the future.

In 1983, Michelle returned to her hometown. It was at the age of 21 when Michelle became the winner of the Miss Malaysian beauty pageant. It wasn’t Michelle’s idea to enter the contest. Michelle’s mother and her mother’s friend’s thought that Michelle would be an excellent contestant in the Malaysian beauty contest. Her mother had sent some photos in without Michelle’s approval. In order to stop her mother from nagging her, Michelle entered the contest. Later that year, Michelle won the contest in Melbourne and earned the title of Miss Mooba.

Michelle was Miss Malaysia for a year. A friend of Michelle’s suggested her to do a D&B Films commercial in Hong Kong with somebody by the name of Jackie Chan. At first, she didn’t realize that she was going to work with the great martial artist Jackie Chan. In Hong Kong, Jackie is known as Sing Lung. After this, Michelle was offered a 2-year film contract.