Halle Berry Gets Emotional While Presenting Michelle Yeoh with History-Making Award at Oscars 2023
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Arturo Holmes/Getty, Arturo Holmes/Getty Halle Berry; Michelle Yeoh
Halle Berry was filled with emotion while presenting Michelle Yeoh with her history-making award at the Oscars 2023.
During the 95th annual Academy Awards on Sunday evening, Yeoh, 60, won in the Best Actress category for her performance as Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once. She was up against fellow nominees Cate Blanchett (Tár), Ana de Armas (Blonde), Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) and Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans).
After Yeoh's name was called and she made her way up to the stage at the Dolby Theatre, Berry, 56, and her fellow actress hugged it out as the Bruised director and star handed Yeoh her trophy.
The moment was history-making given that Yeoh became the second woman of color to ever receive the Best Actress honor. The first was Berry, who won back in 2002 for her Monster's Ball performance. Yeoh also became the first woman of full Asian descent to earn the coveted award, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Berry tweeted on Monday, "It was an honor to present, alongside Jessica Chastain, Michelle Yeoh her HISTORIC Oscar for Best Actress! This was a long time coming and a moment I will forever hold dear!"
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Kevin Winter/Getty Jessica Chastain, Halle Berry and Michelle Yeoh
RELATED: Halle Berry Presents Best Actress to Michelle Yeoh in Will Smith's Absence at Oscars 2023
Berry presented Yeoh with her award alongside Jessica Chastain. Best Actress is usually presented by the previous year's Best Actor winner, but last year, Will Smith won for his role in King Richard.
Smith, 54, resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — which also banned him from attending its events for 10 years — after he infamously struck Chris Rock in the face onstage after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Berry made no mention of Smith, nor the controversy surrounding last year's Oscars ceremony, as she presented the award to Yeoh.
The ceremony came just over a week after Rock, 58, addressed the assault in his live Netflix comedy special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, peppering it with scathing jokes about the Smiths and their marriage.
RELATED VIDEO: Michelle Yeoh Gives Inspiring Best Actress Speech About Never Being "Past Your Prime" at Oscars 2023
During her acceptance speech, Yeoh told audience members and viewers watching at home, "For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that, dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up."
"I wouldn't be standing here tonight without the Daniels, without A24, without my amazing cast and crew, without everyone who was involved with Everything Everywhere All at Once," she said. "I have to dedicate this to my mom, all the moms in the world, because they are really the superheroes. And without them none of us would be here tonight."
Noting how her mother is 84, Yeoh continued of her Oscar, "I'm taking this home to her," then added, "She's watching right now, in Malaysia, with my family and friends. I love you guys, and I'm bringing this home to you. And also, 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 I can be here today."
"And to my godchildren, to my sisters, all of them, to my brothers, to my family — thank you! Thank you! Thank you to the Academy, this is history in the making," she concluded.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Michelle Yeoh
Movies' biggest night was held at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and was televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted this year, his third time in the emceeing gig, and the movie with the most overall nominations was Everything Everywhere All at Once, which had 11 total nods. (It was followed by All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin, which both earned nine nominations.)
Some stars who took home awards included Brendan Fraser for Best Actor and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Best Director. Everything Everywhere All at Once, meanwhile, earned the night's most-coveted award for Best Picture.
Lenny Kravitz performed during the In Memoriam segment, and all five Best Original Song nominees were showcased live during the broadcast.
A group of A-list stars also presented awards, including Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, Janelle Monáe and John Cho, to name a few.
The Oscars aired live on ABC Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET.
