Crave Online: You did Tai Chi Master with Jet Li 15 years ago. What had changed in fighting each other now versus then?
Michelle Yeoh: Before we were on the same team. This movie we were fighting each other. But it's not difficult when you have to fight with someone like him.
Crave Online: A lot more special effects now?
Michelle Yeoh: Actually for our fight scene there isn't. If you think about it, ours was probably the one that was with a real person and going at it, because it was more an emotional fight. What was beautiful was because I had an amazing dress that seemed like it was part of the weapon itself.
Crave Online: Why did you want to do this movie?
Michelle Yeoh: I think the first attraction was Rob Cohen because I love the Mummy franchise to start off with, and then was very excited when he said we're going to take it to China. It was a perfect opportunity to have the young kids learn a little bit about China, whether it's a little bit of fact and fiction fantasy all mixed into one. Having spoken to Rob, because I think it's very important because the director really is the one with the vision, with the story to tell. I was very impressed with his Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, because from that you can see that he had a great respect for Chinese culture. He understood it and he did not have a romanticized Caucasian male image of what the Chinese icon or what the culture should be about. Then when he was talking about the character, I found her very interesting because you know she's very magical. You're not quite sure what she is or where she really comes from. She lives out in the remote place but she has certain powers, but you're not quite sure what they are actually. And then to be part of this franchise was a no-brainer. It was easy.
Crave Online: While shooting in China, did it feel like a Hollywood movie or did it feel like a Chinese production?
Michelle Yeoh: Rob really works very much like a Chinese director. He's very well-prepared. He knocks off like 30 shots a day. If you went to a Hollywood production, they'd be like 30 shots, two weeks. He's fast. He knows what he wants and in China that's how it works. But prior to that we were in Montreal where the sets were just simply spectacular. The way people worked was like there was no more feeling of whether it was a Chinese or whatever production. It seemed like they all melt into one because when we were in China, we had a lot of the crew coming from Canada, you know, Australia, from America as well, so there was a nice mix continuously.
Crave Online: Rob's a big fan of your movies. Would he ask you to give him specific moves from like Yes Madam or Royal Warriors?
Michelle Yeoh: [Laughs] No, he doesn't work like that. I think when he does something it's very much a Rob Cohen vision of what the move is. It's not like something that he's done or what I've done before, but a feeling of what we are. And then we've got like Vic Armstrong which was fantastic for me because I worked with Vic Armstrong in Tomorrow Never Dies. Sp you walk onto the set and then suddenly go, "Oh my god, the Bond people are here!" So it's more important that they understand what we can do and then what Rob wants.
Crave Online: Were there any injuries on set?
Michelle Yeoh: No. He's so easy to fight with. I think the most difficult thing when we're facing off is, "Okay, don't make me laugh." Because we stand there and go, "Oh God, no." Because when we were working on "Tai Chi Master," Yuen Woo Ping had to send us out of the room because we would giggle the whole time. Like Rob would come up to us and say, "What are you two talking about?" Because we would be like [chatting with each other] and laughing. Not just [chuckling], but laughing. That was the most difficult part when it came to our fighting.
Crave Online: What's your daily martial arts practice nowadays?
Michelle Yeoh: Because I've had injuries over the years and also understand what is necessary and what your body needs, because everyone is different, I have the normal every day stretching. The core work is very important. But then you know you have to work on a movie, it's just doing the basics. That's the most important thing for me. And then I get on the elliptical and I love that, every day for an hour.
Crave Online: What are your thoughts on the Olympics in China?
Michelle Yeoh: I think there's a great sense of patriotism as well. It brought the people together to believe that, more internationally because there's a lot of Chinese who don't live in China anymore. There was sort of like a disconnection for a while.
Crave Online: What are you working on next?
Michelle Yeoh: Well, we finish our press in Tokyo on the 6th and then I go home to Malaysia because I've been away from home for a long time. I need to spend some quality time. I have another movie coming out, Babylon A.D. with Vin Diesel directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, I think a few weeks after so I think the audience might have a good share of me already this year.
Crave Online: Is there martial arts in that?
Michelle Yeoh: Well, it's not martial arts. Vin is not really a martial arts. It's action. It's like full-blown action.
Crave Online: Are you a good guy or bad guy?
Michelle Yeoh: I'm a good girl. I understand what he's saying. You know when you're playing the bad or the evil character everything that you think that you can't do in real life you can get in there and go [chuckling manically], "Yes!" It will happen.
