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Q: Why do I know the actress who plays the other captain in "Star Trek: Discovery"?

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

"Other captain" isn't a lot to go on in the Star Trek universe, but I feel pretty certain you're referring to Michelle Yeoh, who plays Capt. Philippa Georgiou in this latest Star Trek series. The question of why you know her is a little trickier.

If we look at it mathematically, you know her as Yu Shu Lien, a wandering warrior who is equal parts tragic, wise and generally awesome, in the 2000 modern classic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." That's her best-known role as determined by combining the size of the part and the fame of the movie.

However, that movie was, well, not for everyone -- certainly not in North America, with its subtitles and weird magical realism, which is not as weird in Hong Kong cinema.

But it was her breakout role in the West, and many more broadly palatable parts followed.

She had a supporting role in the 2005 dramatic smash "Memoirs of a Geisha," and in 2008's campy hit "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

More recently, she had a small role in the 2017 Marvel megahit "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," and a more substantial one in last year's surprise hit "Crazy Rich Asians."

At the risk of putting too fine a point on it, since "Crouching Tiger," whenever Hollywood has needed to cast a somewhat mature (Yeoh is 56) Chinese part (or Japanese or Singaporean -- Hollywood isn't picky), Michelle Yeoh has at least been on the shortlist.

 

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