Oscars 2023 witnesses historical moments of groundbreaking firsts

Best Actress Michelle Yeoh poses with her Oscar at the Governors Ball following the Oscars show at the 95th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

by Deutsche Presse-Agentur - dpa

Mar 13, 2023 9:22 am

The 2023 Oscars saw some groundbreaking firsts and significant career milestones, creating a historic event once again.

First Asian best actress

Michelle Yeoh is the first person from an Asian background to be named best actress. She is also only the second non-white performer ever to win the award.

The first was more than 20 years ago, in 2002, when it went to Halle Berry for the film "Monster's Ball."

Berry was on stage this year to help present the award to Yeoh.

Of the five people running for best actress, all were white except Michelle Yeoh, who comedy-drama for the offbeat comedy-drama "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Vietnamese American actor Ke Huy Quan (C), winner of the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball in Hollywood, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Duo director winners

Yeoh's success was one of several wins for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which saw the film end the night with seven awards.

Another win came in the best director category: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

It is only the third time in Oscar's history that this award has gone to a pair of directors.

The other two occasions were in 1962, when Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins won for "West Side Story," and in 2008, when Joel and Ethan Coen took the award for "No Country For Old Men."

First Asian best actor

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" also helped make history for the best-supporting actor category, with Ke Huy Quan becoming the first person from an Asian background to win the award.

Four of the 10 most recent winners of this award have come from a non-white background: Mahershala Ali in 2017 ("Moonlight") and again in 2019 ("Green Book"), followed by Daniel Kaluuya in 2021 ("Judas & the Black Messiah") and Ke Huy Quan this year.

Ruth Carter poses with the Oscar for Best Costume Design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in the Oscars photo room at the 95th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Black women for best costume design

Ruth Carter made history in 2019 when she became the first black woman to win the award for best costume design for her work on the first "Black Panther" film.

Her success in the category this year, for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," means she has made history again and become the only black woman to win the award twice.

Once in 50 years

It is the first time in nearly 50 years that the same film took home three of the four acting awards.

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" pulled off a hat trick of the best actress (Michelle Yeoh), best supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan) and best supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis).

The last time this happened was in 1977 when "Network" scooped best actor (Peter Finch), best actress (Faye Dunaway) and best supporting actress (Beatrice Straight).

Last Update: March 13, 2023 10:35

Edited By: Buse Keskin