The Malaysian actress made her name in martial arts movies. She has enjoyed a string of successes by starring in hit movies such as Police Story 3 (1992), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). But though achievement seems to have come easy for her, “blessing in disguise” is in fact a more fitting description of how she came to be the Michelle Yeoh we know today.

Celebrated for her impressive ability to perform her own death-defying stunts and fight sequences, Yeoh was often referred to as the female version of Jackie Chan, for whom she expresses the highest respect. She was also hailed by American producer-director Oliver Stone as his all-time favorite actress, quite a feat for someone who hadn’t planned on pursuing acting in the first place.

At the age of four, she started taking ballet lessons that nurtured her passion for the craft. It wasn’t long before she moved to London to attend the Royal Academy of Dance, a giant leap closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a ballerina. But a serious back injury prevented her from moving forward.

After graduating from the academy in 1983, she returned to Malaysia where a surprise awaited her. To distract her daughter from missing out on her ballerina dreams, Yeoh’s mother had secretly entered her in the 1983 Miss Malaysia pageant, which she ended up winning.

One thing led to another, and Yeoh eventually signed with Hong Kong-based D&B Films, then owned by ex-husband Dickson Poon, the entrepreneur who controls luxury retailer Harvey Nichols and the Seibu department stores in Hong Kong through his Dickson Concepts group.

She took on the screen name Michelle Khan and was cast in her first film, Owl vs Dumbo (1984), co-starring Hong Kong actor Sammo Hung. She then played the role of a judo instructor in The Target (1985) and kicked ass with kung fu babe Cynthia Rothrock in Yes, Madam (1985).

Having no martial arts background whatsoever, Yeoh was determined to prove her mettle by leveraging on her dance training to master the swift and forceful moves essential to kung fu cinema. She was cast once again alongside Rothrock in Royal Warriors (1986), followed by a Thomas Crown Affair remake, Easy Money (1987), and action epic Magnificent Warriors (1987).

After successively playing femme-fatale roles, Yeoh shied away from the spotlight in 1988 to get married and live in quiet domesticity. It wasn’t until 1992 that she reappeared on screen with her comeback movie, Police Story 3.

Yeoh has no regrets where career is concerned. She assumed the responsibility of having chosen her professional path, rather than playing victim to circumstance and settling for second best after injuring her back in ballet school. If anything, any hint of regret she may harbor has more to do with how others treat the profession.

Yeoh’s sense of purpose to reach out to those whose voices are not heard goes beyond merely making movies about them. These days, when not seen at car races and events with Frenchman Jean Todt, the head of the Ferrari Formula One motor racing team, Yeoh spends most of her time shuffling between the US, Europe, Malaysia and Hong Kong to carry out charity work with organizations such as Aids Concern in Hong Kong, Force of Nature in Malaysia and other groups catering to children in need.

“I think getting involved is very important. We have a privileged career that can be very visible and put to good use. Look at Angelina Jolie or Al Gore. From there, more people will hear of the issues we need to deal with as human beings,” she says.

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