Born in Ipoh, Malaysia, Michelle Yeoh had a passion for dance when she was young and started to study ballet at the age of four years old. She entered London Royal Academy of Dance but an injury ended her dream of being a prima ballerina, and she consequently had to switch her focus away from dance to other arts. In 1983, she received a B.A. degree in Creative Arts in England. The same year, she returned to her native country and was crowned Miss Malaysia.

In 1984, Michelle Yeoh appeared in a television commercial with Jackie Chan and soon became Hong Kong's kung-fu queen known for performing her own stunts since her first action film, Corey Yuen’s "Yes Madam" (1985). She continued to knock audiences out in Asia for more than two decades, in such action films as Michael Mak’s « The Butterfly Sword », Stanley Tong’s « Project S », Johnnie To’s « Heroic Trio » and « Executioners », and Woo-Ping Yuen’s « Tai Chi Master ». She was praised later on by international audiences as the charming secret agent in Roger Spottiswoode’s James Bond hit "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997) and the intense swordswoman in Ang Lee's gripping "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000). Her performance in this feature film earned her three nominations for best actress – at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards and the BAFTA Awards in 2001. She was also named CineAsia's "Award of Excellence in Acting for Outstanding Performance as an Actor" in 1999.

In 2002, Michelle Yeoh added another feather to her cap by producing and staring in Peter Pau’s "The Touch", a contemporary romantic adventure film. Hence, she was named "Producer of the Year” by CineAsia. She also produced and starred in Jingle Ma’s futuristic action film "Silver Hawk" in 2003. Four years later, she was conferred the honour of "Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur" by President of the Republic of France, in recognition of her contribution for arts and cultural exchange between Asia and France.