Major night for Asian representation at the Oscars, with historic wins for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'RRR' - CNN

She rose to international fame after starring in the 1997 James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" and Ang Lee's Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000.

Dorothy Lau, who specializes in film studies at Baptist University, home to one of Hong Kong's top media schools, called Yeoh's victory "very significant."

In his own emotion-filled acceptance speech, the former child star, who for years worked behind the camera after roles for him dried up, recalled his remarkable path to the silver screen.

The three-hour historical fantasy film is set during India's struggle for independence from Britain and features wild action sequences, explosions, epic battles, complex dance numbers and a man wrestling a tiger.

Asian-American actress Lauren Tom, known for her role in the 1993 film "The Joy Luck Club," thanked Yeoh for the inspiration, tweeting that she was "#sobbing" and "#soproud."

Filipino-American actor JB Tadena, who starred in the TV series "Hawaii Five-0," said he's hopeful these wins will lead to greater recognition for people who may have been previously disregarded.