Actress Michelle Yeoh’s Research for Her Role as Aung San Suu Kyi

27 March 2011 – KUALA LUMPUR: An international actress, Michelle Yeoh revealed that she had read almost 50 books to play the role of Burma’s democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a forthcoming Hollywood biopic film The Lady.

According to the Malaysia-born actress, a lot of research was done personally on the Nobel Peace Prize winner to animate her character in the film directed by French film-maker Luc Besson.

“Frankly speaking, I feel very proud to play the character of such an influential woman, it is also an honor to work alongside David Thewlis who plays Dr. Michael Aris,” she told a Malay Daily in Malaysia after launching a reading campaign at the National Library in Kuala Lumpur.

Early December last year, Ms. Yeoh met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside house in Rangoon, Burma. Daw Suu was arrested in 1989 and detained under house arrest for more than 15 years until her final release on 13 November 2010.

The Lady, which was filmed in locations including Burma, Thailand, England and France, is due to be released in October 2011.

Well known for her interest in reading, the former Miss Malaysia, Michelle, is the national reading icon of Malaysia.

Reporting by Thomas Chong
Chinland Guardian