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.
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
20th March 2023 
