Michelle Yeoh made history Sunday night as the first Asian woman to win the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture – and she clearly couldn’t hold back her excitement, even dropping the f-bomb during her historic, emotional speech.
The “Crazy Rich Asians” star was visibly overcome with emotion when her win was announced.
“I think if I speak, my heart will explode,” Yeoh began. “Everyone of you know the journey, the roller coaster ride, the ups and downs. But most importantly, we never give up.”
She continued: “I thank you for your love, for your support because I know I am up against titans.”
Flustered, Yeoh had to step away from the microphone, letting out a “s—” and “f—!” as both her and the audience laughed.
“This is not just for me, this is for every little girl that looks like me,” the actor continued. “Thank you for giving me a seat at the table because so many of us need this ― we want to be seen; we want to be heard. And tonight you have shown us that it is possible. And I am grateful, and my mom will be eternally grateful to you.”
Earlier in the evening, Ke Huy Quan received an award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. The former “Goonies” star also made history as the first Asian male to win an individual SAG award for acting in a film.
“This is a really emotional moment for me,” he said. “Recently, I was told that if I would’ve won tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category. When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.”
He continued: “When I stepped away from acting, it was because there were so few opportunities, and now tonight here we are, celebrating,” he continued. “The landscape looks so different now than before. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these changes. Thank you so much to SAG-AFTRA for this truly, truly prestigious honor.”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” swept the SAG Awards, earning not just the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, but broke the record for the most SAG awards by any single film ever.
Watch a video of Yeoh’s acceptance speech above.
