A man told how he became friends with the Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh in the 1980s when she took dancing courses at the college he attended.
In 1982, Steve Barlow first met the future celebrity at Crewe and Alsager College.
According to him, she took him under her wing when she attended the location for her degree in performing arts.
Sunday, 60-year-old Yeoh was awarded the Oscar for best actress for her work in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Seven prizes were given to the film, including those for best picture, director, and original screenplay.
Mr. Barlow stated that she entered the college in 1980 as a performing art major under her birth name, Choo Kheng Yeoh, before specializing in dance in her final year.
He mentioned how she had been a devotee of horror flicks and how they had viewed films and visited West End theater productions together.
“Out of nowhere, this small Malaysian woman took me under her wing,” he explained, adding that they were “inseparable” at the time.
“She was required to travel to the United States in order to pursue intensive dance training; at the time, the college was one of the best places to earn that degree,” he explained.
“Only a few institutions offered bachelor’s degrees in performing arts,” he continued, explaining that Yeoh intended to study in London.
Mr. Barlow stated that Yeoh was “extremely laid-back” and had never expressed an interest in becoming an actress prior to earning a role in a martial arts film, during which she came to see him play in the West End.
He stated that Yeoh moved from being “the most humble of personalities” to being “very reckless.”
He stated,
“The Oscar could not go to a more deserving recipient.”
“I recall sitting with her in a flat in Swiss Cottage [London] and pondering, “Who is this woman?” while we watched the film she had just produced, Police Assassins.
“She truly was a woman of mystery,” he stated.
Since they parted ways in 1986, Mr. Barlow has attempted to contact Ms. Yeoh through social media but has thus far been unsuccessful.
Yeoh made history on Sunday by becoming the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
Michelle Yeoh stated in her victory speech:
“For all the young boys and girls watching tonight who resemble me, this is a beacon of hope and possibility.
“And ladies, never let anyone tell you that your prime has passed,” she continued.
Also Read: M. Shadows Married His Wife After A 6th-Grade Romance
