Michelle Yeoh Awarded The Highest Honor in France for a Non-Citizen
By Ryan General
The French government bestowed the title of Commander of the Legion of Honour to international superstar Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh on Tuesday for her contributions to culture and the movie industry.
The recognition, the highest honor available to a non-French citizen, was awarded by French President François Hollande himself at the official residence of the French Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yeoh, who was filming the upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” TV series in Toronto, Canada, flew to Malaysia to accept the honor, The Star reports.
The 54-year-old Chinese Malaysian actress, who rose to superstardom for performing her own stunts in Hong Kong action films, was previously given the “Chevalier” title back in 2007, followed by the title of “Officer” in 2012.
Napoleon Bonaparte established the National Order of the Legion of Honour (Legion d’Honneur) back in 1802 to award exemplary services rendered to France or causes in support of France.
The order, which is divided into five ranks, is France’s highest decoration bestowed upon French or foreigners who have provided “exemplary services” to France or to the causes supported by the country.
The different ranks of the order are as follows: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross).
Other Malaysians who were given the Commander title are the Sultan of Terengganu, Mizan Zainal Abidin, and AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
While popular for being a badass martial artist in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Yeoh was also a beauty queen in 1983, when she was crowned Miss Malaysia/World.
She became internationally known as the “Bond girl” in the 1997 film “Tomorrow Never Dies”, and a lead character in the 2000 blockbuster hit “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.
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