Michelle Yeoh Spills Tea on Why Quentin Tarantino Couldn’t Handle Her in Kill Bill

Buy Me A Coffee

GET ON THE LIST - ICONICHIPSTER.COM

Receive daily posts plus list-exclusive content straight to your inbox:

We never spam.

Michelle Yeoh, the ageless wonder and action queen who can make flying through bamboo forests look like a casual stroll, just gave us a hilarious behind-the-scenes scoop about Quentin Tarantino. While chatting with Graham Norton, Michelle reflected on how the Pulp Fiction mastermind helped her bounce back from a tough time in her career—and revealed why she didn’t land a role in his martial arts epic Kill Bill. Spoiler alert: it’s peak Tarantino.

So, let’s set the scene. Picture it: Michelle is in Hong Kong, feeling down in the dumps after a gnarly stunt accident. (Because if you’re Michelle Yeoh, you don’t just trip over curbs—you have stunt accidents.) “I was in Hong Kong and depressed,” she said, adding that she started doubting whether she should keep leaping off walls and looking cooler than any of us ever will.

See also  SZA Performs 'Kill Bill' and 'Snooze' at the 2024 Grammys

Enter Quentin Tarantino, a man whose enthusiasm for movies is rivaled only by his enthusiasm for talking about movies. According to Michelle, he basically told her, “Girl, stop doubting yourself and go break more bones—artistically, of course!” Okay, maybe not in those exact words, but his pep talk was apparently enough to get Michelle back in the action-packed saddle.

And thank goodness for that, because her post-pep talk career gave us gems like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy. (Honestly, imagine a world without Michelle Yeoh doing spinning kicks in slow motion. It’s too bleak to consider.)

See also  Serena Williams Puts Paris Restaurant On Blast For Denying Access To Her And Family

But here’s where things get juicy. Graham Norton, being the cheeky instigator we love, pointed out that Michelle and Quentin never actually teamed up for a movie. Specifically, Graham brought up Kill Bill, which—hello?—is practically a love letter to martial arts legends like her.

Why didn’t Quentin cast Michelle? Her response was gold: “I asked him about Kill Bill and why he hadn’t thought of me. He said, ‘No one would believe Uma Thurman could kick your a–!’”

Let’s unpack that. On the one hand, it’s a massive compliment: Michelle Yeoh is so badass that even the Bride herself, Uma Thurman, couldn’t convincingly take her down. On the other hand, Quentin, buddy, isn’t that what acting is for?

See also  Michelle Yeoh To Play The Lead In 'Blade Runner 2099' Series On Prime Video

The moral of the story? Michelle Yeoh’s reputation for being untouchable in a fight is so strong it scared off Quentin Tarantino. If that’s not a power move, we don’t know what is.

Catch Michelle’s full interview for more gems, but fair warning: you might walk away feeling like you should start practicing high kicks in your living room.

Comments area

Sidebar

Must Read

Tyla’s Fashion Week Moment: Less Dress, More Drama at Jacquemus in Paris

Ah, Paris Fashion Week – where the streets are...

Who Will Be the Next James Bond? A Predictably Wacky Guess from ‘THR’!

The swirling hurricane of speculation over who will don...

Elle Fanning Gets A Role In ‘Predator’ Universe Movie ‘Badlands’

Elle Fanning is diving headfirst into the Predator universe!...

Australian Breakdancer Raygun Releases Statement About Online Bullying After Disastrous Olympic Performance

Olympic breakdancing sensation Raygun—aka Rachael Gunn—is finally taking the...

Billie Eilish Helps Launch Gucci’s Plant-Based Bags

Billie Eilish just teamed up with Gucci, and they're...

You Might Also Like

Khalid Claps Back at Ex’s Allegations, Drama Level: High School Cafeteria

Khalid, the 26-year-old “Young Dumb & Broke” singer, found...

Lisa Kudrow Believes Matthew Perry Died From Prescription Drugs

The entire Friends crew is reeling in disbelief over...

Taylor Swift Goes Full Beast Mode: No Booze, Just Bangers

Beabadoobee, the effortlessly cool 24-year-old singer-songwriter whose name sounds...

Watch Sabrina Carpenter Perform ‘Espresso’ On ‘Saturday Night Live’

Sabrina Carpenter had a major pop star moment on...

Gypsy Rose Blanchard And Ex Fiancé Ken Urker Are Back Together

Guess who's back in the love circus? None other...

Chappell Roan And Her Management Team Have Parted Ways

Chappell Roan is shaking things up again! The 26-year-old,...

Bowen Yang Apologizes To Ariana Grande For Their ‘SNL’ Kiss

Bowen Yang is issuing an apology that’s one for...