Michelle Yeoh was told to retire but she believed in herself. Today, she's a proud Oscar nominee

It is not an unknown fact that Hollywood treats women differently and has an age limit after which actresses tend to get fewer opportunities. Michelle Yeoh, the actress from "Everything Everywhere All at Once," went through the exact same thing but refused to give in to the pressure. Yeoh said on the most recent edition of the Los Angeles Times podcast "The Envelope" that many people had advised her to stop acting before she agreed to play the lead in the multiverse family adventure film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" by Daniel, per TODAY.

The movie landed her an Oscar nomination for lead actress. The business believed Yeoh was too elderly to continue working, but Yeoh objected. Yeoh said, "You know, as you get older, the roles get smaller. It seems like the numbers go up and these things go narrow and then you start getting relegated to the side more and more." She added, "So when ‘Everything Everywhere’ came… it was very emotional because this means that you are the one who’s leading this whole process, who’s telling the story."

She continued, "You know, as you get older, people start saying, ‘Oh yeah, you should retire. You should do this. You should…’ No, guys. Do not tell me what to do. I should be in control of what I am capable of, right?" It would be an understatement to suggest that Yeoh's career has been shaped significantly by "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The movie earned the legend her first nomination for an Academy Award. Earlier this year, she won the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical. With nearly $100 million at the global box office, the film has become a cultural phenomenon and is A24's highest-grossing film ever.

Yeoh spoke about the movie's success, "The first thing is you feel like, ‘Finally, thank you. You guys see me, you guys really see, and you’re giving me the opportunity to show that I’m capable of doing all this."

Yeoh verified rumors that her part in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was initially intended for a guy in a prior interview with Variety. Before changing the screenplay to make the main character a woman, Daniel originally planned to employ Jackie Chan. Yeoh had fair requirements even then for the naming of her character. Yoeh said, "The only thing I said to them was, ‘The character cannot be called Michelle Wang.' They’re like, ‘But why? It’s so you.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m not an Asian immigrant mother who’s running a laundromat."

She further added, "She needs her own voice.’ That was the only thing. I’m like, ‘If you don’t change the name, I’m not coming in.’" Finally, Evelyn Wang was chosen as the new name for the character and the rest is history. The movie became an absolute success and proved to everyone that Michelle Yeoh is here to stay.