- The reason why I decided to wait two years after the Bond movie, and to work with Ang Lee in a martial arts movie, is because I really believe that this genre deserves more respect and dignity than it's ever been given. Before, people saw it as a fairy tale; they felt they could take it easy. But it shouldn't be about that. It's so steeped in our culture, it should have more depth to it. It's never easy to find that balance, when it's such a magical type of film, to make you accept our soaring to the skies . . . it was a risk, but when we did this movie, it was for a Western audience.
- Learning how to walk in a kimono was an art form in itself - if you didn't learn to do it properly it was like dragging a dead cat across the floor! We had to walk with a piece of paper between your knees and a tea tray balanced on your head.
- In Asia, we constantly play Koreans, Malay, Chinese. We do not question that, as you do not question an Englishman playing an American or a German.
- I prefer to be kicked four or five times well, you know, hard, than twenty or twenty five times not so good...
- [on playing Aung San Suu Kyi in The Lady (2011)] If there is one thing I learned from this experience it's you need to believe in people, and their ability to grow and to change. You can never give up hope.
- My career in the movie business began in Hong Kong, my heart has always been tied to Asia, and it is immensely gratifying to see international recognition for Asian cinema as a whole.
- If you read a lot of Chinese literature, there has always been very strong women figures - warriors, swordswomen - who defended honor and loyalty with the men. So, it's not new to our culture - it's always been very much a part of it. It's good that now the Western audience would have a different image of the Chinese women.
- I have been presented with roles with demand not just a physical ability but mental disciplines as well. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) was not so much about physical exertion... it was much more graceful and contained than that.
- Wai Lin is the first Bond Girl who is on a par with Bond, someone who can match up with him mentally and physically. From the moment our characters see each other, there is a wariness and a recognition that this person is not who she or he seems to be.
- I believe that the director is really the soul. It is a collaborative effort, but the director is the one who needs to have that vision. It could be a great script, but it starts from there. You need to have good material, at least, but if you don't have someone with vision, it's just words.
- I have people who love me and people that I love and a man that I love. So in that sense, I feel that I'm pretty well rounded.
- Martial arts is just practice. Being a geisha requires complete control.
- To be a geisha, you have to have to an iron-clad layer around you - around your physical body and your heart.
- As an actor, you hope to find roles that are challenging to you as an artist. Then if you are truly blessed, you will find that it also carries a message that you can impart to your audience.
- In many ways, I feel I'm still as physically fit as I was 20 years ago because I've always been athletic.
- I have done many films across the globe and would love to be a part of Bollywood, but the script must have a strong character for me.
- If I only get to play Malaysian roles, there wouldn't be very many roles for me to play.
- When I watch myself on-screen, I always look for the flaws.
- I grew up in Malaysia, and Bollywood is really big there. As a result, I've grown up watching a lot of Hindi movies.
- When you love someone, you don't try to change them.
- I don't like cutting my hair. I did that once, and my mum thought I was a boy.
- India is a great talent pool of actors. I see Freida Pinto making it big in Hollywood, and I am sure many others can also make it.
- I'm not a fashion victim, and I don't closely follow trends. I dress the way I feel comfortable because, at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable.
- My mother is a very big cinema buff, so as a kid, we watched a lot of Indian and Malay films.
- My grandmother had flawless skin just from using basic skincare - an old herbal remedy in the form of a white powder and cream. I don't actually know what was in it because when you're young, you're not interested in skincare, and I didn't want to walk around the house with a white face.
- I stretch and do my squats when I brush my teeth.
- This world belongs to all of us, and all sexes should be able to live in respect and harmony.
- When men have a smile on their faces, that does a lot for me.
- Let's empower men and help them take a stand to stop acts of violence against women.
- I kick and punch quite hard, and it surprises people.
- When a movie becomes very successful, it's automatic that people will start thinking a sequel, a prequel, a quel-quel.
- I always thought of myself as James Bond.
- As a producer, what you want to do is make the next hit. But you also want to lead the audience into wanting to watch different movies. You have to vary your content.
- I thoroughly enjoy a good hot bath. That is my ultimate luxury.
- You have to have integrity.
- Your timing has to be very accurate. I've done a lot of wire work before. I can see that experience makes a big difference.
- There is no guaranteed formula. And that's one of the interesting things about film making. You could put $115 million in, and it doesn't guarantee success.
- There is so much we can do to save lives on our roads.
- The Asia and the Pacific region is facing an epidemic of road death and injury, but we also have innovative Asian road safety solutions.
- Every time you do a movie, it's important for your career, your reputation.
- For an actress, everything is always fine - you are looked after, you have your trailer, and everything provided. But the crew are the ones out there in the wilds all the time, hours before and after us.
- You never know whether the subject matter will click with the audience at that particular time. I wish there was a formula, you know, 'That plus that equals success.'
- As producers, we can influence where the budget goes, but only the director really controls what tone, what type of movie you are trying to make.
- 'Crouching Tiger,' of course, was a very dramatic role for me, and the fighting was very serious.
- As an actress, you know there are limitations on what you can do creatively.
- Sometimes, being a girl away from home - it gets to you.
- In a movie, that's the only time when you're allowed these kind of fantasies to be lived. Being able to look so cool and be able to fight five bad guys and take them down. When can you do that?
- The beauty about being a producer is you sit there, and you explore ideas which become a passion, which slowly becomes a reality.
- I'm terrible on the phone. I just text my friends and family and say, 'Hey, I'm in town.'
- Body language is more fascinating to me than actual language.
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