Michelle Yeoh, 60, addresses winning the 1983 Miss Malaysia pageant

Michelle Yeoh has been making movies in Hollywood for decades, like 1987’s Easy Money, 1997’s Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians.

But before she hit the silver screen, the star was a beauty pageant contestant, which she discussed in the September issue of Town & Country magazine, which is on newsstands August 23.

‘I’m a little competitive by nature,’ the School For Good And Evil star shared about winning the 1983 Miss Malaysia pageant at age 21 before joking, ‘I think the judges were blind.’

Yeoh’s mother is the one who entered her in the contest. 

When asked if her mother takes credit for her career, Yeoh says, ‘All the time! She always tells me, “It’s me, I created her, I gave her this,” and I’m like, “Yes, Mom.”‘

Her second pageant was Miss World, where she walked across the stage wearing a traditional gold and green costume.

She did compete again after that. 

Beauty babe: efore she hit the silver screen, the star was a beauty pageant contestant

In the center: ‘I’m a little competitive by nature,’ the star shared about winning the 1983 Miss Malaysia pageant before joking, ‘I think the judges were blind’

Good mom: Yeoh’s mother is the one who entered her in the contest. When asked if her mother takes credit for her career, Yeoh says, ‘All the time! She always tells me, “It’s me, I created her, I gave her this,” and I’m like, “Yes, Mom”‘

She also talked about not being married yet.

The star is engaged to Jean Todt, the recently retired president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobil.

For nearly two decades they’ve been too busy to plan even the simple ceremony both say they want.

‘He counts the number of days rather than the years,’ Yeoh says. ‘I’ll ask him, ‘What is the present for 6,725 days?’

Her love: She also talked about not being married yet. The star is engaged to Jean Todt, the recently retired president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobil. Seen in 2018

Romance: For nearly two decades they’ve been too busy to plan even the simple ceremony both say they want. ‘He counts the number of days rather than the years,’ Yeoh says. ‘I’ll ask him, ‘What is the present for 6,725 days?’

The star also spoke about meeting director Tarantino.

The artist convinced her to come out of retirement: ‘I must say, Quentin, he’s persistent,’ Yeoh begun.

‘He is who he is today because he’s full of passion and love, so he wore me down.’ 

She allotted him five minutes. 

He sat at her feet and began to recite each of her stunts in detail.

‘Suddenly we became animated,’ Yeoh said. ‘So then I thought, Maybe I’m not ready to give up on this.’

A fan: The star also spoke about meeting director Tarantino. The artist convinced her to come out of retirement: ‘I must say, Quentin, he’s persistent,’ Yeoh begun. ‘He is who he is today because he’s full of passion and love, so he wore me down’

On the interviewer asking why she wasn’t in Kill Bill: ‘I asked Quentin the same question.

‘He’s very smart. He said, “Who would believe that Uma Thurman could kick your ass?”‘

She also said she has a good philosophy on life: ‘I go forward, because life is about moving forward.’ 

Onward and upward: She also said she has a good philosophy on life: ‘I go forward, because life is about moving forward’

‘Failures make us stronger, and they make us understand the path.’

On enjoying her success and her career: ‘My guiding light is you do it because you want to do it—with passion. Our life is a gift, and hopefully when it’s time to go I will say, ‘I lived it to the fullest.’ 

Jamie Lee Curtis, Yeoh’s co-star on Everything Everywhere All at Once, on working with the actress: ‘Her facility to switch between comedy and martial arts and then real emotion. I challenge anybody to come up with a better performance.’

Good shoot: The photos were by Ruven Afanador. On Newsstands August 23