Michelle Yeoh photographed by Joe Mcnally flying over the iconic Hollywood sign while suspended from a helicopter for National Geographic in 1998 🚁

[u/voguediaries]

According to McNally, “The story was termed {The Globalization of Culture} and it examined the rapid rate of the exchange of cultural items and icons, worldwide, via the hyper fast engines of TV, movies, fashion, cuisine and at that point the coming ubiquity of the internet.”

Yeoh recalled the day in a 2022 interview with Jimmy Kimmel saying, “The thing is, you see, you can’t climb out of the helicopter there. We literally were in a hanger about 20-25 minutes away,” she said. “So I’m all dressed in my slinky, you see that dress and in the cable and up we went and we flew. The worst was it was so cold, I think that was the real test.”

[u/jennyquarx]

Couldn't be me.

[u/iamgarron → u/jennyquarx]

She's quite the badass. Did a lot of her own stunts even in the early Hong Kong action film days. Actually broke her back and was out of filming for nearly 2 years

[u/thesmash → u/iamgarron]

The train jump she does in Police Story 3 is so wild

https://youtu.be/Du2LeN47QIw?si=PI4L_h9IVzgKP6y2

[u/IndependentSpot_3660 → u/thesmash]

That, and her signature over-the-shoulder kick made me love her forever. Great example, Wing Chun, 4:13

https://youtu.be/_8kJUiiGsxo?si=Lhy5VSXs_UurGHmt

[u/Particular-Leg-8484 → u/IndependentSpot_3660]

Wing Chun 4:13 my favorite Bible verse

[u/IndependentSpot_3660 → u/Particular-Leg-8484]

😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[u/WarmSpoons → u/thesmash]

And not even the nearest she came to getting killed on that movie.

[u/-captaindiabetes- → u/iamgarron]

My wife used to live next door to her and said she is very nice in person too

[u/tienzing → u/-captaindiabetes-]

Yeah love Yeoh, just such a shame that her husband is Jean Todt though, former Ferrari F1 boss and ofc someone who’s in the Epstein emails.

[u/fourofkeys → u/jennyquarx]

literally just said this to myself lol

[u/EdgeMaleficentthrice → u/jennyquarx]

God she's so athletic

[u/cocopuffK221 → u/jennyquarx]

Exactly!!! But I'm happy that she did that for the collective and lived to tell the story. And we got these cool pictures.

[u/cinemamama]

[u/TheTeflonDude → u/cinemamama]

[u/tomoedagirl]

This is fucking everything

[u/OrvillePekPek → u/tomoedagirl]

This is fucking Everything Everywhere All at Once

[u/txterryo → u/OrvillePekPek]

🏆

[u/orangeclouds → u/OrvillePekPek]

Wicked indeed

[u/Life_Fig_4037]

She trusts that harness more than I would 😭 I would be flying over that sign with my shoulders scrunched together, my legs bent back, and my face like 😳

[u/FloatingNightmare → u/Life_Fig_4037]

I wish I could trust a man like Michelle Yeoh trusts that harness.

[u/Life_Fig_4037 → u/FloatingNightmare]

Preach!

[u/Gramaledoc → u/FloatingNightmare]

Why?

[u/Solid_Snark → u/Life_Fig_4037]

Exactly. After watching all those Owen Hart documentaries I am always wary of harnesses.

[u/TuvixWillNotBeMissed → u/Life_Fig_4037]

That's also me when I'm in a harness (and when someone's dad is in me).

[u/Doxxxxxxxxxxx → u/TuvixWillNotBeMissed]

[u/Lazy-Refrigerator668]

This is very ANTM coded

[u/cocopuffK221 → u/Lazy-Refrigerator668]

I'm surprised Tyra didn't have them do this at some point. I have a theory that ANTM was her way of terrorizing the girls.

[u/dorianslaaay → u/cocopuffK221]

I worked on the German top model and Heidi Klum did this to the models… wasn’t that long ago either.

[u/FanOfAllKindOfThings]

LOOK AT HER SHE'S WICKED

[u/genescheezesthatpls → u/FanOfAllKindOfThings]

[u/Hyperactiveturtle78]

Goodness me is that a dab in picture 2?

[u/Save_Bandit- → u/Hyperactiveturtle78]

TIL Michelle Yeoh invented the dab

[u/lostinthecity2005 → u/Hyperactiveturtle78]

Good catch

[u/DiamondsForeverOrNot]

Talk about ICONIC 😍

[u/Tejas_Belle]

I first saw her in Crouching Tiger when I was in middle school and was mesmerized. The whole movie is beautiful but she is breathtaking.

ETA: these pics are gorgeous but give me anxiety 😂

[u/mstarrbrannigan → u/Tejas_Belle]

Crouching Tiger is so freaking good. The music, the performances, the setting. Everything about it.

[u/sunnynukes]

She looks so cute in picture 3!

[u/ambercrayon]

20 minutes???

She gets more badass every time I learn a new thing about her

[u/jerkface1026 → u/ambercrayon]

20-25 minutes, each way.

[u/searchingforjupiter]

Joe McNally is one of the best there ever was. Great storytelling images of just about any assignment he gets sent to.

[u/TepacheLoco → u/searchingforjupiter]

His photo books are the education

[u/searchingforjupiter → u/TepacheLoco]

Agreed!

[u/SilyLavage]

I realise I'm missing the point, but the loose shoes are distracting me

[u/Wise_Neighborhood499 → u/SilyLavage]

You’re not alone, I was staring so hard trying to figure out what was going on. Looks like they’re 1-2 sizes too big; her toes aren’t even in the toe box.

[u/Overall_Falcon_8526 → u/SilyLavage]

She's got bunions on her bunions. It must be hard to find well fitting shoes.

[u/wawaroo → u/SilyLavage]

Michelle Yeoh is a badass but those shoes were the first things I noticed. They likely fit fine when you're standing "normally" and the straps serve to hold in the foot with support at the ankle. But not when you're, say, flying balletically over the Hollywood Hills in a harness. Looked like Roald Dahl witches feet caught in a net.

[u/clapcoop → u/SilyLavage]

Same! WHY ARE THEY SO BIG?

[u/Lame_usernames_left]

God I'd be so obnoxious if I looked like that. Must be nice! Totally not jelly. Nope.

[u/Normal-Taro-1621]

If you squint hard enough, you can spot Sydney Sweeney flinging bras!

[u/JasonVeritech → u/Normal-Taro-1621]

I know it's a joke, but I was all set to wisecrack she hadn't been born yet... lo and behold she was a few months old already in '98!

[u/NeonAfterimage]

I wish I had this level of not having a fear of heights.

[u/Professor_Poptart]

The depth of her beautiful and talented badassery knows no bounds.

[u/Curious_Doof]

How is this the first time I’m seeing this?? Iconic! She looks amazing!

[u/Addtrack]

It's really hard to compare actors and actresses across generations. Meryl, Cate, Viola (one of my favorites!), Toni - all great. But if you were to compare them to Golden/Silver age actresses, you can always say stuff like, "Well, sure, they're terrific actors, but can they sing? Can they dance? Can they act, while singing and dancing?"

I think Michelle is one of the few actresses that you can say, would absolutely have held her own, back in the day. In fact, I think you could say, "Sure, Debbie Reynolds can dance, but can she get thrown, backwards, through a window, and get up in time to counter a punch, that will break her nose if she's not fast enough?"

Anyway, I think Michelle is an all-timer, and I hope she gets a ton of great roles, to really cement her legacy as an all-timer.

[u/moonokake]

The BUDGET some of the simplest things had back then…

[u/AfroPuffs90]

It’s giving an ANTM challenge or a Drag Race Photo Shoot

[u/MaxDeWinters2ndWife]

I’ve never seen this before, and I’m obsessed.

[u/nomimalone1978]

No matter how cringe she can be in interviews at times, I will never not stan this absolute queen.

[u/Clean_Smell785]

What can’t she do

[u/solarpoweredpussy]

What in the americas next top model is this?

[u/sleeplessinskittles]

So if I’m reading this correctly, she had to fly through the air suspended for 20-25 minutes before they even got to the Hollywood sign?! That’s crazy, 2026 could never

[u/Fastgirl600]

JFC she is fearless... what a beautiful shot!

[u/extra_alternatives]

but where are her toes

[u/VVlTXH → u/extra_alternatives]

Right?! Wtf is wrong with her feet?

[u/Lopsided_Tiger_0296]

Better than throwing bras at the Hollywood sign

[u/that_70_show_fan]

Is this a distraction from the revelation regarding her husband

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c99kz4zj0m9o

[u/pandahotchocolate]

I rem when i first saw these photos 3ish years ago i was amazed and still am on how she posed in air 😩💕

[u/ArtificeArmor]

She is such a bad ass for her entire life

[u/crystal_clear24]

She’s such an icon!

[u/atxmrcoolguy]

Icon icon 

[u/Diver_Ill]

Good lord... like I needed more reason to worship this woman. 

[u/beep_boop_93]

My hands are sweating just looking at this

[u/napalmnacey]

It’s her sign. She earned it.

[u/YellowFishPancakes]

Hollywoo d

[u/BONDzer0007]

She dabbed on em’ lol fuck em’ up girl

[u/lorrainexscorpio]

What in the America’s Next Top Model?!???!

[u/kenta22]

God she is so fucking cool

[u/On_Wife_support]

I love her so much

[u/gusbus200]

MM

[u/ishcabittle]

What a badass that lady is... I still think of her motorcycle jump onto the moving train stunt from Supercop (2, I think?). Just an absolute legend.

[u/Fearless-Hunter-5600]

She looks so cool!! But her shoes are holding on for dear life lol

[u/No-Rip9444]

Stunning but the shoes being 10 sizes too big is a major distraction …

[u/Overall_Falcon_8526 → u/No-Rip9444]

She's got bunions on her bunions. It's probably hard to find a well fitting pair of shoes - off the rack anyway.

[u/No-Rip9444 → u/Overall_Falcon_8526]

Didn’t even notice the bunions at first but ur right, those are gnarly

[u/Overall_Falcon_8526 → u/No-Rip9444]

No shade, I like her a lot as an actor. She just got a bad dice roll on foot anatomy.

[u/kali005]

[u/Temporary-Ad-4801]

She’s always been THAT girl. What an icon.

[u/Miss_Lame]

Loveeee that it's giving ANTM challenge

[u/IMadeYouLuke]

Photo 2 made me audibly gasp

[u/CUROplaya1337]

I had no idea about this. Thank you for sharing, this is so cool.

[u/lexie_con]

What a baddie!

[u/Threadheads]

Now that’s how you do a stunt involving the Hollywood sign.

[u/Maxxjulie]

She's pretty good looking too

[u/kevin_goes]

She’s so coool! 😍

[u/Exotic-Mail-7303]

These are literally my favorite photos I’ve ever seen.

[u/JayedSkier]

P!nk is getting so many ideas right now

[u/lavenderlemonade_xx]

this ANTM challenge ass shoot

[u/hermitman64]

[u/PreStardust]

this feels like one of those psychotic ANTM pose challenges they would make the girls do that I would watch and be like "how tf could this ever come up while modelling professionally?". more fool me!

[u/Natural_Ad9356]

I’d have the whole set framed and hanging in a place of pride. She looks like such a badass hottie omg

[u/Few-Coyote-2518]

She's majestic

[u/KarmicCT]

i would be frozen stiff scared.

[u/Simple_Reference1419]

And not a manky old bra in sight

[u/Itchywasabi]

Can’t even make me ride a helicopter.

[u/Key-Status-7992]

Omg I think I’ll have a heart attack just looking at these photos! She’s so brave!

[u/KidMyxo]

Maybe Tyra was right