Michelle Yeoh Quotations

We tried really hard to get things right, to honor and respect the tradition of the geisha.

We've talked about it. I've been married before. We'll stay together as long as we're happy. We don't necessarily have to get married. Marriage is a bonus. Being together is enough. I also like to be independent.

There are so many elements in the movie industry that I am just beginning to learn about. As an actor you are well-protected.

We had to learn in just six weeks what geishas spend their whole lives learning. There were seven torture rooms, ... But we were lucky that Kaori and Ken were there to keep an eye on us to make sure we were doing it properly. Please forgive us if we did anything wrong.

When I watch myself on-screen, I always look for the flaws.

They have an amazing team ... I've wanted to work with these people for a long while.

All of us understand we are here and our movie has done exceedingly well.

It's tough on a different level. This is not a physical movie, in that sense, but I think the mental torture of this movie was much harder. I'd rather run on rooftops; that's easy to do.

Doing a movie like 'Memoirs' was good in the sense that it tickled me into thinking, 'Well, maybe I have to be a little more feminine.' But after two hours of that, I said, 'Fine, OK, I did that,'

I have people who love me and people that I love and a man that I love. So in that sense, I feel that I'm pretty well rounded.

If you read a lot of Chinese literature, there has always been very strong women figures - warriors, swordswomen - who defended honor and loyalty with the men. So, it's not new to our culture - it's always been very much a part of it. It's good that now the Western audience would have a different image of the Chinese women.

My career in the movie business began in Hong Kong, my heart has always been tied to Asia, and it is immensely gratifying to see international recognition for Asian cinema as a whole.

If I only get to play Malaysian roles, there wouldn't be very many roles for me to play.

As an actor, you hope to find roles that are challenging to you as an artist. Then if you are truly blessed, you will find that it also carries a message that you can impart to your audience.

I have been presented with roles with demand not just a physical ability but mental disciplines as well. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was not so much about physical exertion...it was much more graceful and contained than that.

The most important thing is that you have really good friends and family, and when you go back to them, it's like 'what?'. You carry on as who you are.

And I don't feel any fear in a sense, because I have every good intention in my heart. When you face up to bad things in the past, the most important thing is not to allow them to happen today or in the future, and as storytellers, we must play our part in that.

I believe we are all born equal. You know, we are, whether you're a boy or a girl, you should have the same equal rights.

Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story – who you choose to be.