Michelle Yeoh’s portrayal of a ‘kick ass’ secret agent in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies marked a major change in the way the 007 franchise portrayed its female characters.
But now the 62-year-old finds herself at the center of a sexism row after BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour appeared to dismiss her achievements – describing her as a former ‘Bond girl’.
Critics say the term used by host Nuala McGovern in the introduction to an interview with the star bears no relation to what Ms Yeoh actually did in the film – which included performing some of her own stunts.
Dame Jenni Murray, who presented Woman’s Hour until 2020, said last night: ‘For me, ‘Bond girl’ can only apply to a woman who [James Bond] went to bed and even then should not be used for any female character, regardless of bedability, after 1972.”
Ms Yeoh’s portrayal of Chinese agent Wai Lin in the film – starring Pierce Brosnan as 007 – could hardly be further removed from the more passive Bond heroines played by the likes of Britt Ekland, Jane Seymour and Jill St John in the s sixty and seventy. .
The character Wai Lin was a skilled weapons expert who could handle more than just himself in a fight – and was Bond’s equal in every way.
Malaysian-born Ms Yeoh – who won the Best Actress Oscar last year for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once – started her career in Hong Kong action films.
At the time of Tomorrow Never Dies’ release, the Bond franchise made a determined effort to appeal to a female audience and shake off its sexist image.
The character Wai Lin (pictured) was a skilled weapons expert who could handle more than just himself in a fight – and was Bond’s equal in every way
Ms Yeoh’s portrayal of Chinese agent Wai Lin in the film – starring Pierce Brosnan as 007 – could hardly be further removed from the more passive Bond heroines
Malaysian-born Ms Yeoh (pictured) – who won the Best Actress Oscar last year for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once – started her career in Hong Kong action films
Kathy Lette, the bestselling author, said last night: ‘It’s time for the term ‘Bond girl’ to disappear from the linguistic dust.
‘Michelle was the third lead in Tomorrow Never Dies and, like a trained martial arts artist, did many of her own stunts. In reality, maybe she could be our first female Bond.”
In an interview two years ago, Ms Yeoh, who is currently starring in the film version of the musical Wicked, reflected on how her role in the 007 franchise changed the way female stars would be viewed in the future.
She said, “Because it was always a man’s world, right? All the boys love being James Bond, and the women were almost always the Bond girls.
‘But her [the producers] were ready at the time they came looking for me to have a lot more depth, emotion and the quality of their nature in the film.
“I was very blessed that this was the train of thought that was going through their minds when they were writing Tomorrow Never Dies.”
Author Dr Julia Long said: ‘It is infantilizing to refer to a female actor who is clearly extremely skilled and talented and very knowledgeable in her craft. It just seems like a very old-fashioned term.
“It’s part of a vocabulary that undermines women as human beings participating in the world and it’s really a shame that Woman’s Hour would take part in that.”
At the time of Tomorrow Never Dies’ release, the Bond franchise made a determined effort to appeal to a female audience and shake off its sexist image. Pictured: Brosnan and Yeoh in a scene from the film
Ms Yeoh (pictured on set) did many of her own stunts on the set of Tomorrow Never Dies
The tenure controversy is the second to affect Ms McGovern and Woman’s Hour in a week.
The presenter was criticized for a sharp interview with nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital in County Durham who had objected to a trans colleague’s use of a female changing room.
Some listeners and Christian groups were concerned about Ms McGovern’s questioning of a nurse’s Christian beliefs, with one Mumsnet user criticizing her “cynical tone”.
A spokesperson for BBC Radio 4 declined to comment.