Michelle Yeoh, 60, Reveals She Was Pressured to Retire Because of Her Age

Michelle Yeoh is proving that older people are capable of greatness because age doesn’t mean anything if we still have a passion for our craft. The 60-year-old actress, who has made history by becoming the first Asian Best Actress Oscar Nominee, has opened up about having to struggle in an industry where the roles became smaller just because she got older. We’re amazed by Yeoh’s strength. It shows us we should never give up on our dreams.

During a recent podcast, the Everything Everywhere All at Once star applauded the co-directors of the movie for providing her with a chance to star in a leading role, almost 4 decades into her acting career.

The actress noted, “as you get older, the roles get smaller.” She continued to explain, “It seems like the numbers go up, and these things go narrow, and then you start getting relegated to the side more and more.”

Yeoh continued, admitting that as your age progresses, “people start saying, ’Oh yeah, you should retire. You should do this. You should...’” However, the star insists that she totally refused to listen to their words and recommendations, saying, “No, guys. Do not tell me what to do. I should be in control of what I am capable of, right?”

Yeoh explained that these pressures don’t have to always be expressed through direct words, but as an actress you feel them as the roles get smaller or as she put it, “you don’t get the roles, and you’re just sitting there.”

Michelle notes that the issue is different for men in Hollywood. She explained, “You start getting scripts where the guy, the hero, is still in his 50s, 60s — some even more. And then they get to go on the adventure with your daughter.”

And as a woman, Michelle revealed that she wants to tell them, “Give me a chance,” explaining that she feels that she “is still able to do all that.”

The Oscar nominee went on noting that the lack of roles is what makes some actresses like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman start producing their own projects in order to stay relevant and active in the industry.

She explained, “Because they are not going to wait at the sidelines. Because they saw that coming as well.” The actress added, “If you don’t make it happen, and you wait, then you could be waiting for a very long time.”

We wish Yeoh a flourishing career, and we thank her for inspiring us and proving that our age should never stop us from making our dreams come true.

Do you agree that we can reach the top of our career at any age as long as we believe in ourselves?