Meet Yeo Yann Yann, the Cantonese-speaking Godmother with Malaysian roots in ‘Havoc' on Netflix
KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann has probably watched the cult classic mafia film The Godfather one too many times and has now manifested something similar for herself in Havoc.
Best remembered for her heart-warming and tearjerker roles, Yeo stars as the cold-blooded and ruthless Clarice Fong — also known as Mother — in Havoc, acting alongside Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker.
'Every two or three weeks once, I watch The Godfather because I really admire the stillness and life in the eyes of the characters.
'So, when I landed the role, I felt like I'm the Godmother now!' she told Malay Mail during a recent interview.
While the 48-year-old Johorean has played a mother before in Ilo Ilo and Invisible Stories, she said: 'The biggest difference in Havoc is that I get to use a gun!'
After her son is killed in a brutal massacre, Mother blames the son of corrupt business mogul Lawrence Beaumont (Whitaker) for the tragedy and hunts him down. Beaumont then tasks worn-down cop Patrick Walker (Hardy) to protect his son.
'When I read the script, I could picture a devastated woman going through the most painful thing that a human should never go through — losing a child,' Yeo said.
Yeo's favourite scene is when Mother and Beaumont reflect on their parenting dilemma during a quiet car ride amid the chaos.
'They were talking about their children being friends but I think these two characters could have become friends (in another lifetime).
'They loved their children so much that they were willing to sacrifice everything for them. That really touched me,' she said.
Taiwanese actor Chen Yi Wen and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann (right) pose with their trophies at the 56th Golden Horse film awards at Taipei on November 23, 2019. — AFP pic
One thing that certainly reveals Johor-born Yeo's Malaysian roots is her Cantonese interactions in Havoc, especially with Singaporean actor Sunny Pang.
Pang stars as Ching, a trusted ally of Mother, who respectfully regards her as 'dai ga jie' — the Cantonese word for 'elder sister' — a term that even non-Mandarin speaking Malaysians recognise.
'Evans has done many films in Indonesia,' Yeo said, referring to the Welsh-born director's previous works like Merantau and The Raid franchise.
'So, he understands Southeast Asian culture very well.
'When I asked him if he had any specific accents in mind, he said the character can come from anywhere, even from Kuala Lumpur.
'And, I said, 'Great, I'm happy to hear that!''
'The girl in the little box'
Once a familiar figure in theatre and local television series, Yeo is now a household name in the wider Chinese film industry.
Her stardom started with a very simple dream: she just wanted to be 'the girl in the little box' that she saw at the age of seven.
Yeo was born in Pontian Kecil and spent her holidays at her grandmother's place in Kukup Laut, a fishing village.
While watching a movie at her grandmother's house one day, Yeo started tearing up during a scene depicting a girl reading an obituary for her teacher who sacrificed his life for the students.
'I didn't want anyone to see me crying. It was embarrassing.
'Inside my head, I was thinking that if I'm the girl in that little box, then I can cry my heart out without caring about other people.
'I wasn't thinking about being a big star. I just wanted to be that little girl,' she said.
Yeo was nominated for Best Actress at the International Emmy Awards in 2020 for HBO Asia original series Invisible Stories. She played the role of a single mother struggling to care for her autistic son. — Picture courtesy of HBO Asia
After completing her secondary education at Foon Yew High School, Yeo pursued performing arts studies at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore.
Yeo is a two-time winner of the Golden Horse Awards — considered the Oscars of Chinese-language cinema — securing Best Supporting Actress for Ilo Ilo (2013) and Best Leading Actress for Wet Season (2019).
She was also nominated for Best Actress at the International Emmy Awards in 2020 for her role in the HBO Asia original series Invisible Stories.
In 2023, Yeo made her Hollywood debut opposite fellow Malaysian and Oscar winner Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh in the Disney+ fantasy-comedy series American Born Chinese.
The same year, she also made her Bollywood debut in the Indian romantic comedy anthology series Modern Love Mumbai, currently streaming on Prime Video.
Eyes local projects
After making waves internationally, Yeo is considering working on a Malaysian film, which she says will be helmed by a new and young Malaysian director.
Discussions are underway, and if the plan goes through, she might return to KL by the end of this year for the film shoot.
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