Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan have made history by becoming the first Asianactors to win top film prizes at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.
Yeoh became the first Asian actor to win best performance by a female actor in a leading role, while Quan took home best supporting actor at the ceremony on Sunday.
Yeoh acknowledged that she had been “up against titans” in the category, as she accepted the prize.
Grab your tissues and prepare to be moved by the ICONIC Michelle Yeoh! #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/ZPHoOkHb7u
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) February 27, 2023
“Every one of you know, the journey, the rollercoaster ride, the ups and downs. But most important, we never give up,” she said.
“This is not just for me, this is for every little girl that looks like me. 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.”
Quan hailed the increasing diversity within the entertainment industry, in his own emotional acceptance speech.
The actor has stormed the 2023 awards season so far with his performance, beating Irish stars Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan in the SAG category.
He appears alongside Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis in the sci-fi thriller, which sees a family torn apart by an interdimensional rift.
Acknowledging his achievement in his acceptance speech he said: “I quickly realised that this moment no longer belongs to me.
“It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.
“The landscape looked so different now than before. So, thank you so much to all of you in this room and everyone who contributed to these changes.”
KE HUY QUAN! The Actor® is in great hands 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ipPyN7GqU0
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) February 27, 2023
Finishing his remarks, he added: “To all those at home who are watching and struggling and waiting to be seen. Please keep on going, because the spotlight will one day find you.
“Thank you everyone for rooting for me. I will be rooting for you.”
Quan is only the second Asian male actor to win any individual SAG prize in either film or television, one year after Squid Game’s Lee Jung-Jae won the prize for male actor in a drama series.
This year he also won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award (CCA) for his performance – and is nominated for best supporting actor at the Oscars next month.
During an emotional speech last month at the CCA, he said he had been shown “so much kindness” since his return to mainstream acting.
Addressing critics and journalists, he said: “I was bracing for a very different reaction.
“But because of your generosity, I was welcomed back with so much positivity.
“You’ve not only helped audiences find our little movie, but you’ve also helped audiences to remember who I am. And for that I am so, so grateful to you.”
As a child Quan starred in several blockbuster films including the Indiana Jones franchise alongside Harrison Ford, and The Goonies.
