Michelle Yeoh's magic touch

The Oscar-winning Malaysian actress, who plays sorceress Madame Morrible, says she will miss her Wicked family but is on the lookout for her next dream role

- Joanne Soh Lifestyle Correspondent

Michelle Yeoh and her husband Jean Todt at the European premiere of Wicked: For Good in London on Nov 10.

(PHOTO: EPA)

Terrorising and manipulating Ariana Grande onscreen in the upcoming movie sequel Wicked: For Good was "fun and liberating", says Michelle Yeoh of her costar, with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I hope you know that's not me in real life, right?" adds the 63-year-old Malaysian actress, laughing.

Yeoh reprises her role as Madame Morrible, former dean of sorcery studies at Shiz University and now a spokesperson for the Wizard of Oz (American actor Jeff Goldblum, 73), in Wicked: For Good.

Directed by American filmmaker Jon M. Chu, the movie which opens in Singapore cinemas on Nov 20 - is the followup to the 2024 fantasy musical film Wicked.

It continues the story of the complex friendship between Glinda the Good, played by American pop star and actress Grande, 32, and Elphaba, played by British actress-singer Cynthia Erivo, 38.

It is revealed that Madame Morrible orchestrated the ostracisation of Elphaba, branding her as the Wicked Witch of the West, and is starting to control the naive Glinda and exploit her charming personality to serve the Wizard's agenda.

Describing Grande as "such a loving person" and "like a little angel", Yeoh found it hard to be nasty.

But Chu, 46, encouraged Yeoh to "go after Ariana".

"He was always telling me: 'Can you please scare the hell out of Ariana?'" Yeoh says with a chuckle.

Yet, Yeoh - the first Asian to win the Best Actress Oscar for science-fiction comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - is hesitant to label Madame Morrible as a villain, viewing her as a complex, layered antagonist instead.

"I won't characterise her as a bad guy. She started as an educator, a nurturer, but she got lost in her own ambitions and dreams, and got corrupted by power," she reasons.