The Oscar buzz for Michelle Yeoh and her Best Actress nomination for Everything Everywhere All At Once has been a long time coming. After achieving stardom overseas in a series of Hong Kong action films in which she did many of her own stunts, Yeoh began to cross over in 1997 when she appeared opposite Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies.
The next year — which was two years before her international breakout performance in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — the actress’s profile in Hollywood rose quite literally when she agreed to do a shoot with photographer Joe McNally for National Geographic in which she soared over the Hollywood Sign.
McNally later explained the genesis the concept: “The story was termed ‘The Globalization of Culture,’ and it examined the rapid rate of the exchange of cultural items and icons, worldwide, via the hyper fast engines of TV, movies, fashion, cuisine and (at that point) the coming ubiquity of the internet. I needed an Asian star, capable of daring stunts, to do something with me to emphasize the growing global influence of movie personalities from Asia in big budget, mainstream Hollywood films.”
History Of The Hollywood Sign Photo Gallery
Yeoh fit the bill and agreed to do it, but McNally’s first attempt at capturing the spirit of the story — photos taken in the desert outside L.A. — didn’t fly with his editor. Having worked with Yeoh and realizing her unique set of skills included not just acting and inhabiting a role, but the ability to pull off stunts others would blanch at and look beautiful doing so, the concept for the final shoot was born.
The actress recalled the day recently to Jimmy Kimmel, revealing that she wasn’t just hanging from a couple ropes below a helicopter for the duration of the time the photos were shot, but for the entire time the craft was in the air.
“The thing is, you see, you can’t climb out of the helicopter there. We literally were in a hanger about 20-25 minutes away. So I’m all dressed in my slinky — you see that dress — and in the cable and up we went and we flew. The worst was it was sooo cold. I think that was the real test.”
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Yeoh was suspended in mid-air from a helcopter during the shoot.
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images The 1998 photo shoot was for National Geographic.
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Photographer Joe McNally said he needed “an Asian star, capable of daring stunts.”
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images “The story was termed ‘The Globalization of Culture,’ ” recalls the photographer, “and it examined the rapid rate of the exchange of cultural items and icons, worldwide, via the hyper fast engines of TV, movies, fashion, cuisine and (at that point) the coming ubiquity of the internet.”
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Yeoh recalled the day recently to Jimmy Kimmel, revealing that she wasn’t just hanging from a couple ropes below a helicopter for the duration of the time the photos were shot, but for the entire time the craft was in the air.
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images “The thing is, you see, you can’t climb out of the helicopter there. We literally were in a hanger about 20-25 minutes away,” she said. “So I’m all dressed in my slinky — you see that dress — and in the cable and up we went and we flew. The worst was it was sooo cold. I think that was the real test.”
Michelle Yeoh In Hollywood
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images At the time of the shoot, Yeoh had begun to cross over in 1997 when she appeared opposite Pierce Brosnan in ‘Tomorrow Never Dies.’
Michelle Yeoh
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Yeoh poses for a portrait during a fashion shoot at Coyote Dry Lake Bed for National Geographic magazine near Barstow, California.
Michelle Yeoh Portrait Session
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images The shoot was meant “to emphasize the growing global influence of movie personalities from Asia in big budget, mainstream Hollywood films,” according to the photogrpaher.
Michelle Yeoh Portrait Session
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images McNally’s first attempt at capturing the spirit of the story — these photos taken in the desert outside L.A. — didn’t fly with his editor.
Michelle Yeoh Portrait Session
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images But having worked with Yeoh in the desert, McNally realized her unique set of skills were suited to something much more ambitious.
Michelle Yeoh Portrait Session
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Yeo was adept at not just acting and inhabiting a role, but had the ability to pull off stunts others would blanch at and look beautiful doing so.
Michelle Yeoh Portrait Session
Image Credit: Joe McNally/Getty Images Out of that confuence of factors, the concept for the final shoot was born.
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