It’s fair to say that Michelle Yeoh is by far one of the most talked-about actresses in Hollywood at the moment.
Born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, she first rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in a series of Hong Kong action films, before she made a name for herself with major roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Ang Lee’s martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), as well as Memoirs of a Geisha, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, Kung Fu Panda 2, Crazy Rich Asians, and more.
Most recently, of course, she began gaining further global recognition for starring as laundromat owner and overwhelmed mother, Evelyn Wang, in the absurdist comedy-drama film Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The film was released to universal critical acclaim in 2022, and cemented its place as a 2023 awards front-runner shortly after.
Michelle Yeoh alongside Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All At Once / Credit: A24
Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, SAG Awards, and countless critics and film circles accolades for the career-defining role also followed for Yeoh, proving that the 60-year-old is one of the finest actresses of her generation.
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Although clinching the coveted Academy Award for Best Actress at the 95th Oscars just last week had to be the cherry on top though, right?
In taking home the long-awaited and richly-deserved win, Yeoh not only beat out heavy-hitters Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams, and Kerry Condon, but she also broke several records along the way.
She became the first Asian and the second non-white woman to win the Best Actress Award, and the first Malaysian to win an Academy Award in any category.
But, aside from all of that, did you know she has strong links to Manchester?
In a fact that many film fans are only just finding out about now, or probably still aren’t aware of, it has recently been revealed that Michelle Yeoh studied at and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts with a minor in Drama from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1983.
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A big congratulations to Michelle Yeoh on wining the Oscar for Best Actress. 🎉👏
Michelle graduated with a bachelor's degree in creative arts and drama in 1983 and is understood to have studied at our former Cheshire campus.
— Manchester Metropolitan Uni (@ManMetUni) March 15, 2023
Yeoh never really dreamed of becoming an actress, and actually moved to the UK with her parents when she was 15 to begin studying at the Royal Academy of Dance in London – however, when a spinal injury prevented her from becoming a professional ballet dancer, she later transferred her attention to choreography and other arts.
This is when she enrolled in the Crewe & Alsager College in Cheshire, or what is more-commonly known as Man Met’s now-closed Cheshire campus.
The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Emily Sergeant -
20th March 2023 
