'Everything Everywhere All at Once' actors Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan make history at the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
by Ana Walia | Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:55:27 GMT
Michelle Yeoh won Best Performance by a Female Actor at Screen Actors Guild Awards. Image Source: THR 

Actors Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan make history at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held on February 26th, 2023, at the Fairmount Century Plaza, Century City, California, to honor the best achievements in film and television performances for 2022.

Actor Ke Huy Quan won the award for the best supporting actor for his spectacular performance in "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" and became the first Asian male film winner at the Screen Actors Guild Awards since its inception in 1994. Ke Huy Quan is also the second Asian actor to win any individual Screen Actor Guild prize in either film or television, one year after "Squid Game’s" Lee Jung-jae won for male actor in a drama series.

Ke Huy Quan, while accepting his award, said that he recently heard that he would be the first Asian male film winner, adding that this moment no longer belongs to just him as it belongs to everyone who has asked for change. He went on to say that he left acting because there were so few opportunities, and he pointed to the current nominees, including co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu.

The actor continued that the landscape looked so different now compared to what it was before and thanked everyone in the room who contributed to these changes. He also said that for the actors who are watching from home, please keep it going because the spotlight is going to find them one day. Ke Huy Quan, who portrayed the character of Waywond Wang, the meek and goofy husband who sets out on a quest with his wife Evelyn, played by Michelle Yeoh, to save the multiverse, is the undisputed frontrunner for the Oscar after garnering multiple industry accolades, including the Golden Globe and Critics' Choice awards.

Michelle Yeoh, who won Best Performance by a Female Actor for her incredible performance in 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,' became the first Asian woman to win a leading film acting award in the SAG Awards' history.

While accepting the award, Michelle Yeoh said that she thinks if she spoke, her heart would explode, adding that SAG-AFTRA got this from them because they understand what it is to get here, noting that everyone in the room knows the journey, the rollercoaster ride, the ups, and downs, but most importantly, they never give, so thank you, she said. Michelle, just like Ke Huy Quan, said that the win is not just for her but for every little girl who looks like her.

The actress then paused, turning away from the podium to compose herself, but eventually relented, screaming "shit" and "fuck" to an ecstatic audience. Michelle, in conclusion, said that she is thankful for her seat at the table, and tonight they have shown them that it is possible, adding that she is grateful and her mom will be eternally grateful to everyone.

Only the second Asian woman nominated for the title of the best actress after Ziyi Zhang for "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005), Michelle Yeoh also became the second Asian woman to win a film acting award, following Yuh Jung Youn's victory for supporting actress in "Minari" (2020). Other Asian winners have come from television categories, including two-time winner Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy" and "Killing Eve") and "Squid Game" stars Lee Jung-jae and Hoyeon Jung at last year's ceremony.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once also won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and the cast took turns thanking everyone before 94-year-old actor James Hong was given the stage to accept the award.

The term "ensemble" is derived from the Latin word for "at the same time," according to actress Stephanie Hsu, whereas Ke Huy Quan stated that they were attached to supporting one another as a family during the filming process. Michelle Yeoh mentioned that there has been a person who has been in trying to support ensembles for longer than just about any of them have been alive, a man who has been acting ever since there were just 49 states, and he recently turned 94, which implies that it has been 69 years to get him on this stage.

James Hong took the stage and began his victory speech in Chinese, which Michelle Yeoh translated for the audience. He then switched to English, simply saying that he said it in Chinese as it could have been broadcast in Hong Kong. James went on to say that he did receive his first SAG card 70 years ago and that his first film was with Clark Gable. But back then, these guys were the leading men, with their eyes taped up like this. The actor clarified that this was due to the producers' belief that "the Asians just weren't good enough and weren't going to do well at the box office.

Look at them now, James, 94, exclaimed proudly. They may not all be Chinese, he joked, but Jamie Lee is a good Chinese name. In his conclusion, James stated that he had never had as much of a good time as he did with all these jerks in this film, and he has no idea of what they were contemplating when they wrote that script. Did you catch everything?

Congratulations to Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh.

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