Top 20 kung fu stars in China

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh [File photo]

Date of birth: August 6, 1962

Place of birth: Ipoh, Malaysia

Notable work: "Police Story 3: Super Cop" (1992), "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997), "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000), "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (2008)

Born in Malaysia in 1962, Yeoh moved to England with her parents at the age of 15. She was keen on dance from an early age, and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, majoring in ballet. However, a spinal injury prevented her from becoming a professional ballet dancer, and she later received a BA degree in Creative Arts with a minor in Drama. At the age of 20, Yeoh won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant; from then on, she began appearing in TV commercial and films.

During 1990s, Yeoh gained fame for performing her own stunts in Hong Kong action films. In 1997, she is best known in the world for her role in the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies", playing Wai Lin. In 2008, the film critic website Rotten Tomatoes ranked her the greatest action heroine of all time. In 2009, she was dubbed by "People" magazine as one of the "35 All-Time Screen Beauties," being the only Asian actress included in the list.