LOS ANGELES February 18, 2026 – Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh made history on Wednesday as she was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Malaysian to receive the prestigious recognition.
The ceremony took place at 11:30 a.m. PT in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, where the 2,836th star was unveiled in the Motion Pictures category.
In an emotional acceptance speech, the Oscar-winning star reflected on her extraordinary journey from Ipoh, Malaysia, to global Hollywood icon.
“The path from Malaysia to here wasn’t a straight line. There were moments I wondered if I belonged. But I was fortunate to be part of stories that crossed borders and languages,” Yeoh said, as captured in video shared by Variety.
She dedicated the star to her parents, declaring, “This is our star.” Yeoh shared heartfelt memories of her childhood: “Growing up in Malaysia, I lived between two worlds of wonder — one was the glowing cinema screens which always felt so far away, and the other was the quiet fishing trips with my parents under the vast open skies.”
Her father would point to the North Star, saying it would always guide her home, while her mother taught her that the horizon was far wider than she imagined. “Between the two of them, I found my roots and my wings,” she added. “I honestly never dreamed that one day my own North Star would be here, etched into the ground of Hollywood Boulevard.”
Yeoh expressed her excitement, calling the moment “beyond insane and surreal” and adding with a smile, “I am so psyched.”
The event drew a star-studded crowd of friends, collaborators and fans. Directors Ang Lee (who helmed her breakout international hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Jon M. Chu (director of Crazy Rich Asians and the Wicked films) delivered tributes, praising her talent, professionalism and trailblazing spirit. Other attendees included Sandra Oh, Awkwafina and Ke Huy Quan.
Born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Perak, Yeoh began studying ballet at age four but suffered a spinal injury that ended her dancing dreams. She went on to win Miss Malaysia World in 1983 before launching her acting career in Hong Kong action films alongside Jackie Chan. Her Hollywood breakthrough came in 1997 with Tomorrow Never Dies, and she cemented her legacy with roles in Memoirs of a Geisha, Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and many more.
In 2023, she made history as the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Yeoh’s star on Hollywood Boulevard is a proud milestone not just for her, but for Malaysia and Asian representation in global cinema. As she told the crowd, “The star may have been one way, but it represents so many people who made this journey possible. I hope it also reminds someone, somewhere, that it is possible. That where you begin does not define where you can go.”
Once a little girl from Malaysia looking up at the stars and daring to dream, Michelle Yeoh now has her own star on the ground — a shining symbol of perseverance, talent and national pride.
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