Michelle Yeoh wins Best Actress and makes Oscars history; Ke Huy Quan wins Best Supporting Actor

Michelle Yeoh made history by winning Best Leading Actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” She is the first woman of Asian descent and only the second woman of color to win Best Leading Actress award.

While accepting her award, Michelle Yeoh said: “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof to dream big and dreams do come true… And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”

She dedicated her Oscar to her mother: “I have to dedicate this to my mom, all the moms in the world, because they are really the superheroes, and without them none of us would be here tonight. She’s 84, and I’m taking this home to her.”

Ke Huy Quan won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once”. He referenced coming to the United States on a boat as refugee from Vietnam: “My journey started on a boat… I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow, I ended up here, on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say, stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream!”

After breaking through as a child star in 80s classics “The Goonies” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” Ke Huy Quan could not find work following his early success as there were no substantial roles for actors of Asian descent. He worked behind the scenes for decades until he was cast as Waymond Wang in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress.