Michelle Yeoh Reveals That Her Oscar-Nominated Role Was Originally Meant For Jackie Chan
"It was written for a man."
By Wayne Garreth — 09 Feb 2023, 11:06 AM
It's rather undeniable that Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) may be one of Michelle Yeoh's biggest successes in her career.
But would it be a surprise to discover that the film was not actually meant to be hers?
On Saturday, 4 February, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh appeared on the PBS produced television series Amanpour & Company, which centres around CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Christian Amanpour, as she discusses world issues and has interviews with globally renowned people.
In an interview with Yeoh, Amanpour questioned the actress on numerous topics, including receiving top billing for the first time in her 40-year career, what it meant to represent diverse women in Hollywood, and all things to do with one of the most talked about films in 2022, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
"Maybe I've been in rehearsal for 40 years for this ultimate role. It is amazing to be able to have the opportunity to say, 'I can do this! Please, let me show you'," she said when discussing her preparation for the role.
Towards the end of the interview, Amanpour mentioned that she was staggered to hear that the lead role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) was initially meant for Jackie Chan — to which Yeoh confirmed
"It was written for a man," Yeoh said in respect to the initial premise for the lead role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
Providing insight into the matter, Yeoh stated that the directors of the film, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, otherwise referred to as 'The Daniels', had to think of the success of the film overall through their show business lenses.
"So they wrote it that way with Jackie, and me, as the wife... the roles were reversed," she said.
However, Yeoh also stated that after she had received the lead role in the film, Chan had texted her to congratulate her for receiving it. When asked by Amanpour about whether Chan had turned down the role or not, Yeoh stated that it was a mutual decision on both parties' parts due to Chan's busy schedule.
Closing out the conversation, Yeoh also mentioned that after Chan declined the role, The Daniels took a step back to reinvent the potential they saw in their story.
"They stepped back and said, 'We're doing something that's already been done before. We should do something differently'," she said.
Giving them high praise for their decision-making, Yeoh gushed about their readiness to cast an Asian woman as the lead for a blockbuster film.
"They are very inspired, and they're not afraid of strong women. I think that is the most beautiful thing about these boys. They celebrate strong women."
Yeoh with Scheinert (left) and Kwan (middle) at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, where Yeoh received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute (AFI).
Image via JustJared