Biography

A Star Is Reborn

Four years after her initial retirement from the silver screen, now divorced from Dickson Poon, Miss Yeoh was again fielding offers from film companies all eager to be chosen for her triumphant return. From them, she chose to team up with Jackie Chan for the third installment of his Police Story series Police Story III: Supercop (released as simply Supercop in the United States).

A tense moment in Supercop

And Into This World

1962: Year of the Tiger

Sadly, Marilyn Monroe departs this world, August 5 at the age of 36.
In sports, Jack Nicklaus beats Arnold Palmer to become the U.S. Open champion. Sonny Liston win's the heavyweight boxing title by knocking out Floyd Patterson. Brazil retains the World Cup by defeating Czechoslovakia.
The first Wal-Mart store opens in Rogers, Arkansas.
K-Mart discount stores open their doors.

There is little doubt that she chose wisely. Chan, having himself reinserted his presence in the United States film market, was increasing in popularity with his blend of martial arts, fantastic stunts and slapstick humor. The film was a major success for both of them, probably because it played to their strengths. Chan is best when working with a highly talented supporting staff that pushes him to perform at his best (which explains the numerous appearances of Anita Mui in his filmography) and Miss Yeoh certainly did not disappoint.

They brought out the best in each other with Yeoh matching Chan fight for fight, stunt for stunt much to the surprise of everyone, especially Chan. His most memorable scene has him dangling from a rope ladder secured to a helicopter as it flies over Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and eventually landing him on a moving train. Not to be out done, Miss Yeoh has a spectacular chase scene in which she rides the side of a speeding armored car (think Indiana Jones), nearly being sideswiped by a bus. Some would say Chan had it easy. The helicopter ride ends with him being dropped on the moving train. Miss Yeoh's version was much more dramatic as she rode alongside it on a motorcycle, flying off a ramp and landing literally on top of it (the scene is prominently featured in the film's blooper reels).

Coming to the defense of her comrades in Heroic Trio

That same year, she made two more films (both released in 1993). The first was the dark, visually stunning action/sci fi/fantasy entitled The Heroic Trio with two other Jackie Chan alumni, Chinese film stars Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung (talk about a powerful cast). In it, she plays the brooding, dark and tormented "Invisible Girl," a member of a mythical underworld organization that believes China must always have an emperor and sets about stealing babies to insure it happens (rent or buy this one in the original Chinese with subtitles. The English dubbing is horrid). Trio was followed by Yeoh's first period piece Butterfly & Sword with Tony Leung of John Woo's Hard Boiled, for which she recorded the endsong.

Challenging a foe in Tai Chi Master

The popularity of these films led to an extremely busy year 1993 which saw Miss Yeoh in a total of 6 films. Two of them were sequels from the previous year. Her character from Supercop, Director Jessica Yang was given a mission of her own in Project S (Supercop II in the United States). There also followed a much darker return of the Heroic Trio titled Executioners. She also filmed two all-star productions, a comedy, Holy Weapon, and an action thriller, Wonder Seven. Finally came two of Yuen Wo-Ping's semi-historical martial arts films, Tai Chi Master (Twin Warriors in the US) with Jet Li, and Wing Chun.

Completing such high profile films, popular both in the United States and Asia, it was only a matter of time before the major movie studios stood up and took notice. In interview after interview with the American press, reporters practically begged studio executives to take advantage of this rare talent: a female action star who still finds a way to maintain her femininity while performing the heroic acts usually reserved for the men. Hollywood listened as the Tiger roared.

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