In recent years, we’ve seen an emergence of Malaysian-born talents hitting the big screen and receiving awards on the international stage. From starring in popular movies to hitting the music charts globally, our Malaysian talents are ones to be proud of.
Meet Yeo Yann Yann (杨雁雁), a Malaysian-born actress starring in Netflix’s newest action-thriller film “Havoc”. Starring Tom Hardy, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker, the movie follows a drug heist gone bad, which prompts a jaded cop to fight his way through a corrupt city’s criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s son. From her Malaysian roots to her latest role as “Mother”, here are 6 fun facts about Yeo Yann Yann:
1. She Was Born In Johor
Yeo Yann Yann hails from Pontian Kecil, a small fishing village in Kukup Laut, Johor, where she grew up and spent the holidays with her grandmother. At a young age, Yeo Yann Yann harboured dreams of becoming an actress and at the age of 19, she left Johor to pursue her studies at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore. Landing her first role in a play in Singapore, she decided to stay and is now based there.
2. Has Multiple International Awards Under Her Belt
“Havoc” isn’t the first critically acclaimed actress’ rodeo. Yeo Yann Yann, who acquired her first leading role in the Singaporean film “Singapore Dreaming” in 2006, has an array of awards under her belt, showcasing her prowess as an actress. Her most notable awards include her role in the 2013 Cannes Film Festival-winning film, “Ilo Ilo”, where she acquired the “Best Actress” award at the Vladivostok Film Festival in 2013, and “Best Supporting Actress” at the 50th Golden Horse Awards in the same year.
Yann also won “Best Leading Actress” at the 56th Golden Horse Awards for her role in “Wet Season”, as well as a nomination for “Best Performance By An Actress” for her role in the HBO Asia series “Invisible Stories” at the 48th International Emmy Awards.
3. Made Her Hollywood Debut Alongside Michelle Yeoh
In 2023, Yeo Yann Yann made her Hollywood debut in the Disney+ fantasy action comedy series “American Born Chinese”. She acted as the protagonist’s mother while Yeoh played Guanyin. Despite not having any screen time together, Yann said that it was her dream to collaborate with Yeoh and mentioned that she also looks up to the latter. Her role in the series earned her a nomination from the 3rd Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards for “Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy”.
4. Made Her Bollywood Debut On Amazon Prime
A jack of all trades is what Yeo Yann Yann can be labelled as, as we see her appearing in various international productions – and she’s not stopping at Hollywood. Yeo Yann Yann made her Bollywood debut in the 2022 Amazon Prime Video series “Modern Love Mumbai”, in episode 3, titled “Mumbai Dragon”. The series, which was predominantly in Hindi, saw the actress showcase her versatility as she switched from Cantonese to Hindi.
5. Openly Talks About Postpartum Depression
Yeo Yann Yann is currently married to Hong Kong director Ma Yuk Sing (馬玉成), and has openly expressed her challenges facing postpartum depression. She gave birth to her daughter in 2012 and admitted to having had suicidal thoughts following an argument with her husband. ““[What we were arguing about] wasn’t even important. After I calmed down, I asked myself why I wanted to kill myself. I should have been very happy because I had a child and my career was going well“. After seeking help from friends and doctors, the actress is doing better now.
6. Her Badass Role In “Havoc”
Channeling her inner “Godfather”, Yeo Yann Yann executes her role as Clarice Fong or “Mother” in the Netflix movie as brutally as she can. “Every two or three weeks, I watch The Godfather because I really admire the stillness and life in the eyes of the characters. So, when I landed the role, I felt like I was the Godmother now!”, Yann told Malay Mail.
She adds that the biggest difference between this and her previous roles is that she can use a gun. “I had a chance to do weapons training, which I’ve never done before. On set, they treat guns very, very seriously. It was amazing to understand how I should handle the weapon correctly”, she told the Straits Times
Available to stream now on Netflix, don’t miss out on Yeo Yann Yann’s role in the new Netflix film “Havoc”.
Watch the trailer here:
Sources: Malay Mail, Today Online, India Times, CNA Luxury, The Straits Times, The Star
Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article
