Yeoh was then recruited by Ang Lee to star as Yu Shu Lien in the Chinese language martial arts film '' Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon '' . The film was shot in various provinces around China . Yeoh had grown up speaking English and Malay , before learning Cantonese . She spoke little Mandarin , and learned the Mandarin lines for '' Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon '' phonetically . The film was an international success , and earned Yeoh a BAFTA 2000 nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role
BAFTA 2000
54th British Academy Film Awards
Michelle Yeoh