Time - INT (2022-06-06)

Michelle

Yeoh

Legendary performer

BY KEVIN KWAN

She achieves the impos-

sible again and again.

Simply put, that is what

Michelle Yeoh has been

doing for decades. An

aristocratic Malaysian

beauty becoming the

queen of Hong Kong’s

male- dominated action

cinema? Michelle Yeoh

did it. Subverting stereo-

types in a Bond movie

and breaking into the

global consciousness

with an Oscar-winning

kung fu epic? Michelle

Yeoh did it. Leading the

first Holly wood film

with an all-Asian cast in

25 years to become the

highest-grossing roman-

tic comedy in over a de-

cade? Yes, Michelle Yeoh

did it. We all delighted

in watching her turn

a would-be villain into

a sympathetic portrait

of maternal strength

and sacrifice in Crazy

Rich Asians. And now,

with Everything Every-

where All at Once, she

truly blows our minds.

Without vanity, with-

out fuss, Michelle Yeoh

astonishes us with her

honesty, humor, and

grace, and we realize

we will never get enough

of her achieving the

impossible.

Kwan is an author,

most recently of Sex

and Vanity

As a lawyer turned Cabinet

minister turned International minister turned International

Monetary Fund chief, Christine Monetary Fund chief, Christine

Lagarde has taken a path to Lagarde has taken a path to

becoming president of the becoming president of the

European Central Bank—a role European Central Bank—a role

previously dominated by male previously dominated by male

academic economists—that academic economists—that

was not typical. Her approach was not typical. Her approach

to overseeing monetary policy to overseeing monetary policy

for the euro zone has been for the euro zone has been

equally unconventional. In the equally unconventional. In the

role, she has worked to ensure role, she has worked to ensure

policy policy making is more inclusive making is more inclusive

at many levels, bringing hisat many levels, bringing his--

torically divided policy torically divided policy makers makers

together on key issues like the together on key issues like the

ECB’s strategy review and giving ECB’s strategy review and giving

national central bankers more national central bankers more

influence over policy. She has influence over policy. She has

also overseen rising public trust also overseen rising public trust

levels in the 24-year-old institulevels in the 24-year-old institu--

tion, partly by bringing citizens tion, partly by bringing citizens

into conversations many previinto conversations many previ--

ously felt alienated from. ously felt alienated from.

Now, with inflation at a record Now, with inflation at a record

high in the euro zone, Lagarde high in the euro zone, Lagarde

faces one of her toughest faces one of her toughest

challenges yet: stabilizing price challenges yet: stabilizing price

rises amid a war in the Frankfurt-rises amid a war in the Frankfurt-

based central bank’s backyard. based central bank’s backyard. based central bank’s backyard.

And unlike her peers in the U.S., And unlike her peers in the U.S.,

U.K., or Japan, Lagarde must U.K., or Japan, Lagarde must

marshal consensus among marshal consensus among

policy policy makers from 19 countries makers from 19 countries

to do so.to do so.

Javed is a TIME senior editorJaved is a TIME senior editor

Christine Christine

LagardeLagarde

A force for stabilityA force for stability

B Y AY E S H A J AV E DB Y AY E S H A J AV E D

PHOTOGRAPH BY JINGNA ZHANG 83