Quentin Tarantino Revitalized Michelle Yeoh’s Career After Injury

HONG KONG — Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh credits director Quentin Tarantino with reigniting her passion for action films after a career-threatening injury during the filming of *The Stunt Woman* in 1996. The accident left her in a neck brace and questioning her future in the genre, but a pivotal conversation with Tarantino changed everything.

Yeoh, now 62, recalled the moment during a recent interview. “I was in Hong Kong and depressed as I had had a bad accident while filming a stunt,” she said. “I felt hopeless and was rethinking the whole action thing and thought maybe I should take a step back.”

Tarantino, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, visited Yeoh during her recovery. “He picks up a pillow, throws it on the ground, and literally just sits at my feet and starts to talk about my movies and what inspired him,” Yeoh recounted. The director analyzed her action sequences frame by frame, reigniting her love for the craft. “I realized it’s true when you love something you can’t just give up on it,” she said.

Yeoh’s career trajectory since that conversation has been remarkable. She transitioned from Hong Kong cinema to Hollywood, starring in films like *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), *Crazy Rich Asians* (2018), and *Everything Everywhere All At Once* (2022), for which she won an Academy Award. Her upcoming projects include *Wicked* (2024) and *Star Trek: Section 31* (2025).

Tarantino’s influence on Yeoh underscores his reputation for revitalizing careers. While the two have yet to collaborate on a film, Yeoh expressed openness to the idea. “I have never worked with him, and when I asked him about *Kill Bill* and why he hadn’t thought of me, he said, ‘No one would believe could kick your ass!’” she joked.

Beyond her professional challenges, Yeoh has also been candid about personal struggles, including infertility. During a 2024 interview, she shared how she came to terms with not having children. “You just have to let go and move on,” she said. “And I think you come to a point where you have to stop blaming you.”

Yeoh’s resilience, both on and off-screen, continues to inspire. Her story is a testament to the power of mentorship and perseverance in the face of adversity.