Michelle Yeoh defends Academy after Andrea Riseborough Oscar nomination: 'We all play by the rules'

History-making Everything Everywhere All at Once star Michelle Yeoh is supporting the Academy and fellow 2023 Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough amid the latter's unexpected nomination for her performance in the little-seen drama To Leslie.

Though the 60-year-old actress told the BBC's Today radio program that she didn't "know enough to make a comment" on the circumstances of Riseborough's nomination — the Academy investigated the actress' star-fueled social media campaign leading up to her nod — she defended the motion picture collective's integrity when it comes to honoring talent.

"I know that the Academy has always prided themselves to have regulations where we all play by the rules," Yeoh said. "If it was so easy, it could've been done before. We're ever-evolving. We will always keep evolving how to protect our integrity. I have great faith that we will do that."

Allyson Riggs/A24; Everett Collection Best Actress nominee Michelle Yeoh defended the Academy amid Andrea Riseborough's Oscar nomination.

Following the Academy's unpopular announcement in January that it would look into the ethics surrounding the campaign behind Riseborough's nomination, it ultimately revealed that it wouldn't revoke the honor from the 41-year-old English actress.

"Based on concerns that surfaced last week around the To Leslie awards campaign, the Academy began a review into the film's campaigning tactics," Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement at the time. "The Academy has determined the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film's nomination should be rescinded. However, we did discover social media and outreach campaigning tactics that caused concern. These tactics are being addressed with the responsible parties directly."

Yeoh's Today interview touched on another headline that came out of the Jan. 24 Oscar nominations: snubs for The Woman King actress (and freshly minted EGOT winner) Viola Davis and Till star Danielle Deadwyler, both of whom Oscar pundits touted as likely to receive nominations.

Ilze Kitshoff/TriStar Pictures Viola Davis in 'The Woman King'

"I love Viola and Danielle Deadwyler, too," said Yeoh, who became the first Malaysian woman to receive a Best Actress nomination in the Academy's 95-year history. "I wish we were all just getting the Oscars. It's tough to be pitched against each other. It took me like 40 years to get even a nomination."

She continued, "Every single one actor, actress, filmmaker poured their heart and soul into the movies, the stories they want to tell. I don't think we started the journey thinking this is what we're aiming for. The stories we want to tell are much more important than that."

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Yeoh later clarified that, while it's difficult to see deserving peers fall short of a nomination, she still supports the spirit of competition. "I want the Oscars," she said. "It's a validation from your peers to say, 'We see you, we recognize you.' It's taken so long to be seen and recognized… It's not even just about me — it's a validation for people who look like me to be there, to be part of this group."

The 95th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.

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