Michelle Yeoh Honoured Her Decades-Long Career In Her Golden Globes Speech

Michelle Yeoh took her moment in the spotlight after winning her first Golden Globe.

The beloved actress won tonight for playing Evelyn Wong in the mind-bending multiverse film Everything Everywhere All At Once, receiving long-deserved accolades and recognitions at this point in her decades-long career. During her speech—which she refused to finish early, even speaking back when they began to play her off—the international star reflected on her career and thanked her collaborators on the film, including its directing duo The Daniels and her co-stars Stephanie Hsu, Key Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

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"Whew! OK. I’m just gonna stand here and take this all in. Forty years, not letting go of this," she began, before thanking the Hollywood Foreign Press.

"It’s been an amazing journey and incredible fight to be here today, but I think it’s worth it. I remember when I first came to Hollywood, it was a dream come true until I got here," she said, adding, "I came here and was told, 'You're a minority,' and I was like, 'No that's not possible.'"

"And then, someone said to me: 'You speak English?'" she said, getting real about the discrimination she faced as a young actress. "I mean, forget about them not knowing Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Asia, India. And then I said, 'Yeah, the flight here was about 13 hours long so I learned.'"

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"As time went by — I turned 60 last year — and I think all of you women understand this as the days, years, numbers get bigger, the opportunities get smaller, as well," she continued. "I probably was at a time where I thought, ‘Come on, girl. You had a really really good run. You worked with some of the best people… It’s all good.’ Then along came the best gift: Everything, Everywhere All at Once.'"

As the piano music began to play her off, Yeoh told it to "Shut up, please. I can beat you up, and that is serious."

She continued, "I was given this gift of playing this woman who resonated so deeply with me and with so many people. At the end of the day, no matter what universe she was at, she was just fighting for love, for her family."

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The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon actress arrived at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles earlier tonight, walking the red carpet in a gorgeous metallic number. The strapless midnight-blue gown was covered with sparkling crystals and featured a double-tiered peplum-style adornment over the floor-length column skirt. She accessorized the gown with a diamond leaf-pattern choker and a chunky diamond bracelet.

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.