Michelle Yeoh is TIME’s Icon of the Year 2022. I’m adding “Icon” to my bucket list, I want someone to select me as their Icon before I go. I won’t deserve half as much as Michelle, of course, who could be selected every year for everything, everywhere 😉. She has this marvelous cover above and write up/video for the honor. In both the article and the video, Michelle talks about her 40-year career. Many reporters want to focus on how so many people are just now figuring out she’s an Icon when real film aficionados have known this for years (that’s supposed to be read in a snotty film media reporter’s voice). But Michelle has a lovely outlook to her new fans: she’s just thrilled they found her when they did. For one thing, she said she’s finally cool at the age of 65. For another, she said that getting to reap all the spoils of her hard work at once has been “worth the wait.” The quotes below are from the video that’s embedded in this article.

You can see there were less roles for women who start aging you get relegated to very familiar kind of older women roles. What has happened very dramatically is women have taken control of their own destiny as well. We’re not going to sit around and wait for someone to create those roles. So many of us go out there and say ‘guess what, we’re going to make it happen. Why do I have to wait there for you?’

I’ve worked in this industry for over 40 years. To finally be recognized for the work that you do – I’ve been everywhere, and I’ve done everything and now I get it all at once. It’s worth the wait. The industry my peers, has always been very warm and loving and supportive of the worth that I’ve done… The biggest joy I’ve had is now I have youngsters who come up on the streets and say ‘hey you’re cool. Can I take a selfie with you?’

You just enjoy the moment, that’s what I’ve learned. There’s so many things happening it can get overwhelming. Fortunately, I have a lot of crazy people around me who say ‘take it in.’

I don’t think you should stop anything if it goes away. Everything goes away, it’s impermanence. That’s what life is about.

[From TIME]

“Everything goes away, it’s impermanence. That’s what life is about.” This is so true. It applies to everyone but it’s especially profound coming from Michelle considering how many stops and starts her career had. She was supposed to be a ballerina, but a back injury ended her ballet dreams. So she went into film. Then she was going to quit film when she got married because she was going to have kids. But she couldn’t have kids and the marriage ended. After another injury, from a stunt this time, Michelle decided to quit acting again. But Quentin Tarantino convinced her to stay in the game, just by paying homage to her incredible talent. As we discussed in the last post about Michelle, she thought her career was fizzling out right before it blew up – again. I glad she’s drinking in all of this right now because she deserves every bit of it. But it’s nice to know that if it dissipates, Michelle will still feel the glow.

Side-note: I love watching Michelle interviews because she’s so elegant and she says these lovely things. And because the whole time I’m watching her I’m always thinking in the back of my mind, “she can kick everyone in that room’s @$$”

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Photo credit: Michelle Watt for TIME, Instagram, Getty Images and Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon