Michelle Yeoh, fresh off clinching the Honorary Golden Bear at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, unleashes candid truths on Hollywood’s persistent woes during a raw Variety interview in Berlin. The Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar champion expresses sheer shock over Wicked: For Good‘s total nomination blackout, where she reprises Madame Morrible alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Yeoh blasts Hollywood’s overreliance on algorithms over authentic tales, declaring, “I don’t like crafting stories based on an algorithm.” Audiences crave genuine human experiences, she insists. She revives her 2023 Oscar speech’s fire, slamming ageist labels like “geriatric pregnancy” and urging the industry to shatter women’s stereotypes.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘s star spotlights glacial gains for women over 45, who snag fewer resonant roles despite her own barrier-breaking path.
Yeoh labels Asian-led narratives a relentless “struggle,” even as hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi prove audiences embrace bold risks. “They claimed we missed the criteria, but we triumphed,” she fires back at the Berlinale presser, championing inclusive tales. She hails risk-takers like the Daniels (Kwan and Scheinert) and teases a Hong Kong cinema comeback via Sean Baker’s Sandiwara short.
Yeoh cuts straight on Wicked: For Good‘s 2026 Oscar shutout—unlike the first film’s nods: “It’s exquisitely crafted, and it genuinely crushed me.” Yet she champions film’s enduring might amid distractions.
She deftly dodges U.S. politics queries, pivoting to cinema’s evolution and her looming Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Her Berlinale homage features an Everything Everywhere screening, cementing her timeless clout.
