When the commercial caught the attention of a small film Production Company called D&B films. She signed with D&B and debuted in 1985 and starts filming in Sammo’s Hung film, Owl vs Dumb. She is supporting actress in the movie and didn’t have any action role. But, Michelle had a chances catch a glimpse how action being performed and staged hence being filmed in that particular Hong Kong way. By looking how the guys fight and have action role really made Michelle was in a spellbound. She taught to herself that rather than being demoralized by the men or stuntmen, even though have same number of arms and legs, why don’t she do it by herself. Hence, when D&B Films gave her choice of what to do next, without hesitate, she chooses to do the action work.
In order to put herself for an action role, Michelle went to intensive physical training. She spend about ten to twelve hours a day in a gym with bunch of guys to learn and practice all type and style of kicks, punches and kung fu or martial moves. At that time, she is using stage name Michelle Khan, even in her second film, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, as guest star, which she act as a Judo instructor along with Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
In 1985, Michelle had her second main screen appearance in Yes, Madam! , as Ng Lo Sin and starred along with Cynthia Rothrock. In that film, Ng Lo Sin or Michelle is a fearless policewoman whereas Michelle had performed her first own major stunt. The stunt action is when she flipping backwards on a railing and crash her head through a glass while at the same time she is throwing two thugs off a balcony. She is really showing the willingness and her own abilities to the stunt part. Yes, Madam was a leap forward and is the original film, as marked the birth of the Girls with Guns genre and its brightest star - Michelle Khan or Yeoh.
Michelle again played a spirited and aggressive female police officer in another action film Royal Warriors (1986) as Michelle Yip. While filming Michelle’s third stunt action film, Magnificent Warriors as Fok Ming Ming, she accidentally rips apart an artery of the leg. This serious injury had not allowed her to be in action films for a while.
But, her understandable fiancé, Dickson Poon gave her a non-action role in the next film, Easy Money (1987), which is Michelle’s last film for D & B Film.
She then gets married with Dickson Poon on 1988, and at that time Michelle seems to be retired from acting, but their marriage lasting not more than 3 years.
Later in 1992, about after 4 years from the divorce, the Hong Kong film industry still warmly greeted Michelle’s comeback. Among the offers she gets, Michelle chooses the Jackie Chan’s offer, acts in the Police Story 3: Supercop as to be her comeback film. The world wills remembering her treasured words, “Hello, I’m back”. The film broke the box record in Asia.
Later in the same year, Michelle successfully done made 2 more action films but released in 1993. She brings a role action of a stunning super-heroine action fantasy in The Heroic Trio, as lead star, together with 2 other top Hong Kong female actresses, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung.
While in Butterfly & Sword movie, which is her first classical costume sword fighting film, she is the end song performer and even made a MTV video appearance.
In 1993, Michelle starred in many films as the lead actress; one of them is Police Story 2 or called Project S, starred together with Yu Rong Guang, Emil Chow and Jackie Chan as guest star.
Then, she teamed up again with Anita Mui and Maggi Cheung in second Heroic Trio: Executioners.
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| Michelle in a scene of Holy Weapon |
In the next film, Michelle act as Mon Ching Sze in Holy Weapon, an action comedy movie.
At the end of 1993, she acts in Yuen Wo-Ping’s movie, fantastic martial art historic stories; Tai Chi Master or the Twin Warriors, co starring with Jet Li. The next films, Wing Chun and Wonder Seven were released in the next year (1994).However, while shooting for Wing Chun, a martial arts movie, Michelle dislocated her elbow in a fight part, also her old spinal injury persist as she falling from a horse. As the result of these injuries, she couldn’t move for that day at shooting location Upon her return to Hong Kong after Wing Chun, main character position as Fang Ying in Wonder Seven have been waiting for her and she went to shoot as scheduled.
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| The Soong Sisters |
While filming as lead actress in Ann Hui’s film in Ah Kam, about a stunt woman, she unbroken her worst injury. The accident happened when Michelle landed from a wrong angle and nearly sacrifice her. She had been warded for 3 weeks. The next film is a non-action movie, The Soong Sisters, is Michelle’s first non-action movie. The movie filmed in 1996 but released the following year. As the result, she had been nominated as the Best Supporting Actress in Hong Kong Film Award.
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| Michelle as Colonel Wai Lin |
1997 is the years when she gets involved in international film where she acts as Colonel Wai Lin in 18th James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies. This movie has put her in worldwide spotlight. The following year, Michelle was busy with the Bond movie tour, travelling all around the world.
As a favor to a friend, she filmed in an action romance film in 1999, Moonlight Express as supporting actress and guest star. In the film, she didn’t perform any action or stunt.
In 1999, she appeared in Ang Lee’s films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as starring with Chow Yun Fat, Zhang Zi Yi and Chang Chen. This film was a sensational and get big hit over the world. Instead, this film was nominated for 10 Oscars and went on winning 4 of them, including the Best Foreign Language Film. While in 5 month period shooting this film, Michelle was injured during an action sequence involving wires. The wires were pulled too hard and Michelle was thrown against the wall. Her knees, hands, and legs were hurt and bleeding. Later the same day, Michelle had torn her knee ligaments. These injuries had forced Michelle fly to US for surgery.
Michelle had started her own film production company "Mythical Films" (Hong Kong) in 2000. The company's first film, The Touch, is a romantic action adventure in which Michelle stars as an acrobatic circus performer named Yin. This is the first film Michelle has produced. The film was released in August 2002.
While in January 2004, Mythical’s second film, Silver Hawk which Michelle stars as comic-book style heroine named Lulu Wong or the Silver Hawk was released in Asia.
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Michelle in Memoirs of a Geisha
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In 2005, after filming the Sliver Hawk, she starred in Memoirs of a Geisha, movie based on a story of a Japanese geisha along with Zhang Zi Yi, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe. That film is totally world's big hit film!
While in the same year, Michelle filmed a space mission fiction thriller,directed by Danny Boyle in London. She starred as a botanist, astronaut and scientist named Corazon. Sunshine then released in 2007.
In August 2007, Michelle's "North Pole" film, Far North, is a dark romance stories set in Arctic and premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The film directed by Asif Kapadia in 2006 but highly praised by critics.
In 2008, The Children of Huang Shi, a WWII drama directed by Roger Spottiswoode in which Michelle has a guest star role, was released in the spring.
One of my favorite movie, The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, was released in 2008.The handsome Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello and Jet Li as well starred. Michelle before had been starred with Jet Li in The Twin Warrior in 1993.
Another film at the same year of 2008, Michelle starred in action thriller and science fiction movie,Babylon A.D which is based on a novel. Babylon A.D directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and Michelle act as leading actor, brings the character Sister Rebecca. She also made cameo appearance in Yuen Wo-Ping's
new martial arts film True Legend in 2010.
In 2010, Michelle act as starring in the Reign of Assassins, together with Jung Woo-Sung, Barbie Hsu, Kelly Lin and Wang Xueqi. One of my favorite movie ever. This film produced by John Woo and Su Chao Pin as script writer. Michelle also lent her voice for a character, The Soothsayer in the animation of Kung Fu Panda 2, which is released in May 2011.
Michelle's latest released film is About the Burmese democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, directed by French director Lec Besson. The film making took place in few countries, Thailand, London and Paris and the period takes is from October 2010 to January 2010. Michelle has been travelling around the world for the film promotion.
Michelle's upcoming project is Final Recipe (a.k.a. Cooktales), a family drama with American-Korean writer-director Gina Kim. It was filmed in Thailand in 2012 and it is currently in post-production.
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