Michelle Yeoh says Jackie Chan did her a “huge favour” by rejecting ‘Everything Everywhere…’ lead role

Michelle Yeoh has revealed that Jackie Chan texted her after she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The madcap comedy sees Yeoh play Evelyn Quan, a laundromat owner who discovers that she’s able to access the memory and skills of alternate versions of herself throughout the multiverse.

• READ MORE: Is ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ the year’s maddest, most exciting movie?

Yeoh’s part, however, was originally written for a man, and the film’s directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, known collectively as the Daniels, envisioned Chan in the role with Yeoh as his wife. However, Chan said he was unavailable, so the lead role was rewritten for Yeoh.

“The roles were completely reversed. I remember Jackie texting me and saying, ‘Congratulations! You know your boys came to see me first’,” Yeoh said in an interview on CNN. “I’m like, ‘Thank you bro, you did me a huge favour’,” she said.

The actress also suggested that the decision for Chan to turn down the part was “mutual”. While the actor had a “very busy” work schedule, she said that the Daniels had already “stepped back”, and were already contemplating rewriting the lead role for a woman.

As well as Yeoh’s nod for Best Actress, Everything Everywhere All At Once has been nominated for ten other Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. The ceremony for the 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 13.

NME named Everything Everywhere All At Once as its best film of 2022. In response, Daniel Kwan said: “It’s been a really good year for film, especially after the past few years where the pandemic made people funny about releases. We’ve been watching so many movies that we’ve fallen in love with, for so many different reasons. The fact people are putting us near the top of that list is so flattering. We might disagree with you, but it’s okay. We’re very grateful. Thank you. I can’t believe we got number one!”

Meanwhile, Stephanie Hsu, who played Yeoh’s daughter Joy in the film, recently said she was once mistaken for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before star Lana Condor during a red carpet event.