Oscar Nominee Michelle Yeoh Has Been Kicking Ass For Decades

Yeoh continued handling many of her own stunts throughout her 1990s movies, including Johnnie To’s action classic The Heroic Trio (1993) and The Stunt Woman (1996). While filming the latter, Yeoh suffered a serious injury after landing on her head during an 18-foot jump from a bridge onto a truck, according to Schubart, putting her in traction for a month.

Yeoh received her international breakthrough when she was cast in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), alongside 007 actor Pierce Brosnan. Defying the stereotypes of most “Bond girls,” Yeoh plays an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, who assists Bond and more than matches his skills in a fight.

Among the most memorable action sequences are a scene in which Brosnan and Yeoh leap off a skyscraper, and another in which they fight off a helicopter while riding a motorcycle. Yeoh once again performed many of her own stunts, impressing the American film crew, Schubart said.