Michelle Yeoh, the celebrated Asian actress created history by winning the 23rd Academy Awards for Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. As surprising and awe-inspiring as her acting was, equally shocking is that Evelyn Wang was the role she almost left. Speaking to Cate Blanchett for Variety, she revealed the reason behind her almost leaving the blockbuster was over her character’s name.
Everything Everywhere All at Once depicts the story of an Asian immigrant mother named Evelyn Wang, who also owns a laundromat. However, Evelyn was not originally Evelyn but instead named Michelle Wang to be more appropriate for Michelle Yeoh. And it was over this fact that she nearly walked away from her historic, most-prolific, Oscar-winning role.
Michelle Yeoh Almost Quit Oscar-Winning Movie
When Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert first drafted the script for the epic sci-fi blockbuster Everything Everywhere All at Once, the leading role was titled Michelle Wang. The actor counterpart and the leading actress Michelle Yeoh felt the name did not do justice to the story of the character and was less be-fitting of her struggles as an immigrant mother.
“The only thing I said to them was, ‘The character cannot be called Michelle Wang. They’re like, ‘But why? It’s so you.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m not an Asian immigrant mother who’s running a laundromat. She needs her own voice.’ That was the only thing. I’m like, ‘If you don’t change the name, I’m not coming in.”
Evelyn Wang who travels through the multiverse fighting and combating the ravages of space and time, finally became Evelyn thanks to Yeoh, the acclaimed role we all now know.
Michelle Yeoh felt the role was very fulfilling
Evelyn Wang depicts a very conventional yet out-of-the-box story of an immigrant mother trying very hard to achieve the American dream, that we all have dreamt of at some point or the other. Michelle Yeoh, in a conversation with Cake Blanchett for Variety, described how she loved to play the ordinary yet heartwarming role. Yeoh also loved the challenge presented to her and her desire to work with younger movie directors.
“I always want to work with younger directors, because they throw challenges at you that don’t come your way often. I was very gratified that finally I was getting a script with a very nondescript woman, immigrant woman, and she’s been around us for the longest time, trying to live the American dream — and so have I. And to make such an ordinary woman be extraordinary, it’s very fulfilling, because I think that is all of us”
Despite all opposing opinions Everything Everywhere All at Once went on to gross more than $100 million in revenue worldwide and Michelle Yeoh won over the attention and acclamation she every bit deserves.
Stream Everything Everywhere All at Once on Hulu.
Source: Variety
