‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ wins best picture at the Oscars, one of seven for the night
- Michelle Yeoh thanked Hong Kong in her speech when she became the first southeast Asian woman to win the best actress award
- Ke Huy Quan, a former refugee who starred in 80s films ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘The Goonies’, won best supporting actor in his first role in years
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” won the award for best picture during the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo: TNSEverything Everywhere All at Once won the prestigious best picture trophy at the Academy Awards on Sunday as Hollywood embraced an offbeat story about a Chinese-American family working out their problems across multiple dimensions.
Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis all took home individual awards as well, with Yeoh winning best actress and Quan and Curtis taking home the gold for best supporting actor and actress, respectively. The film won seven awards in total - the first in the Academy’s 95-year history to sweep the Oscars for best picture, best director and three of the four acting awards.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” the 60-year-old Malaysian actress said on stage. “And ladies, don’t let anybody ever tell you you are ever past your prime.”
“To my extended family in Hong Kong, where I started my career. Thank you for letting me stand on your shoulders, giving me a leg up so that I can be here today.”
Quan, a one-time child star who gave up acting for two decades, and Hollywood veteran Curtis won supporting actor and actress for their roles.
A weeping Quan, who was born in Vietnam and briefly moved to Hong Kong as a refugee before settling in the US, kissed his gold Oscar statuette as he held it on stage in front of the biggest names in show business.
“My journey started on a boat,” Quan said. “I spent a year in a refugee camp. Somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.”
As a boy, Quan starred in a 1984 Indiana Jones movie and The Goonies in 1985. The 51-year-old said he had quit acting for years because he saw little opportunity for Asian actors on the big screen.
“They say stories like this only happen in the movies,” he added. “I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream.”
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Quan’s co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, who built a career in horror films such as Halloween, won best supporting actress for playing a frumpy tax auditor named Deirdre Beaubeirdre.
Curtis, 64, looked upwards and addressed her late parents, Academy award nominees Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. “I just won an Oscar,” she said through tears.