01of 09Michelle YeohYu TsaiFrom action star to Oscar nominee, Michelle Yeoh knows the value of being seen. The 60-year-old icon, who has starred in 40 films that have grossed nearly $4 billion at the box office, has spent her career defying stereotypes and showcasing her versatility.“When I started off in 1984, women were relegated to being the damsel in distress,” says theEverything Everywhere All At Onceactress. “We need to be protected, according to our guys. But then I would go, ‘No, guys, I think we can protect ourselves pretty well. And if push comes to shove, maybe I can protect you, too.'“Her subsequent Hollywoodmega-successes— in films likeCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,Crazy Rich Asiansand the upcomingAvatar 3—have opened doors for others.“A lot of actresses find, as the numbers get bigger,the roles start to dwindle,” says Yeoh. “Over the last few years, I’m very proud that we have been breaking away from stereotypes — it’s not just lip service. It is happening. And it’s happening to me. You go from shock to bewilderment. ‘Wow, is itme? How can it be me?’ I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to sit at the table.“Read more from PEOPLE’s interview with Michelle Yeoh here.
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Michelle Yeoh
Yu Tsai
From action star to Oscar nominee, Michelle Yeoh knows the value of being seen. The 60-year-old icon, who has starred in 40 films that have grossed nearly $4 billion at the box office, has spent her career defying stereotypes and showcasing her versatility.
“When I started off in 1984, women were relegated to being the damsel in distress,” says theEverything Everywhere All At Onceactress. “We need to be protected, according to our guys. But then I would go, ‘No, guys, I think we can protect ourselves pretty well. And if push comes to shove, maybe I can protect you, too.'”
Her subsequent Hollywoodmega-successes— in films likeCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,Crazy Rich Asiansand the upcomingAvatar 3—have opened doors for others.
“A lot of actresses find, as the numbers get bigger,the roles start to dwindle,” says Yeoh. “Over the last few years, I’m very proud that we have been breaking away from stereotypes — it’s not just lip service. It is happening. And it’s happening to me. You go from shock to bewilderment. ‘Wow, is itme? How can it be me?’ I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to sit at the table.”
Read more from PEOPLE’s interview with Michelle Yeoh here.
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Sheryl Lee Ralph
David Livingston/Getty
Inspired to act, she put together a benefit in L.A. in 1990, featuring friends like dancer Debbie Allen and Motown legend Mary Wilson. DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness was born, and through herD.I.V.A.(Divinely Inspired Victoriously Aware) Foundation, she has since donated more than $3 million for organizations likeProject Angel Food, which delivers free meals to L.A. residents living with life-threatening illnesses.
Ralph’s next goal: to open a space where she can educate people about health and well-being. “If you reach one person,” she says, “that is everything.”
03of 09Brandi and Catherine CarlileCatherine and Brandi Carlile.Emma McIntyre/GettyIn 2008, after collaborating with General Motors on an environmentally conscious ad featuring their song “The Story,” Brandi Carlile and her bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth launched theLooking Out Foundation, a nonprofit focused on giving voice to the voiceless. In the years since, the LOF has raised more than $4 million for humanitarian causes — from racial justice to hunger relief.“Part of our mission is being able to pivot quickly and respond to whatever situation may arise at any given moment,” says Catherine Carlile, executive director of LOF and Brandi’s wife. One of their latest effortsraised funds in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquakethat devastated parts of Syria and Turkey. Within seven days they were able to raise $300,000 to aid the White Helmets, a volunteer organization of emergency responders, and AKUT Search and Rescue Association, with the Carliles matching the first $100,000.“Because we’re small and scrappy, our fans trust us, and they feel very much a part of it,” says Brandi. “We love our ability to galvanize, pull together and respond.”
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Brandi and Catherine Carlile
Catherine and Brandi Carlile.Emma McIntyre/Getty
In 2008, after collaborating with General Motors on an environmentally conscious ad featuring their song “The Story,” Brandi Carlile and her bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth launched theLooking Out Foundation, a nonprofit focused on giving voice to the voiceless. In the years since, the LOF has raised more than $4 million for humanitarian causes — from racial justice to hunger relief.
“Part of our mission is being able to pivot quickly and respond to whatever situation may arise at any given moment,” says Catherine Carlile, executive director of LOF and Brandi’s wife. One of their latest effortsraised funds in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquakethat devastated parts of Syria and Turkey. Within seven days they were able to raise $300,000 to aid the White Helmets, a volunteer organization of emergency responders, and AKUT Search and Rescue Association, with the Carliles matching the first $100,000.
“Because we’re small and scrappy, our fans trust us, and they feel very much a part of it,” says Brandi. “We love our ability to galvanize, pull together and respond.”
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Bethann Hardison
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
As a former model and modeling agent, Bethann Hardison has seen it all in the fashion world. But in the mid-nineties, amid the influx of White models dominating the runways and casting directors openly saying “no Blacks, no ethnics,” she knew she was witnessing something unjust. “I had to put my revolutionary hat on,” says Hardison, who spoke openly and courageously against discrimination in the industry. “This had become global. It became a norm. That becomes dangerous.”
Hardison, who is the subject of the upcoming documentaryInvisible Beauty, has long fought for representation across the industry. She launched her own agency in 1984 and signed Tyson Beckford to an exclusive contract with Ralph Lauren. In 1988 she and supermodel Iman, a close friend, co-founded the Black Girls Coalition to provide advocacy and support for Black models. Her diversity initiative has expanded over the past two decades to support young designers of color and brands.
05of 09Carolyn Foote and Becky CalzadaCarolyn Foote and Becky Calzada.Allie & JesseWhen Carolyn Foote, 63, and Becky Calzada, 57, saw Texas lawmakers threaten to ban books pertaining to race, racism and LGBTQ+ themes, they formed FReadom Fighters to rally an army of booklovers on social media and in their communities. “Books shouldn’t be contraband,” says Foote, a retired librarian. “We’ve lost our way in this contentious environment. We forgot what’s at the core of libraries: getting kids excited about reading.“Adds Calzada, a library coordinator for an Austin-area school district: “Sometimes you need a book to bring reassurance and to validate.“The group’sTwitter accountandwebsitereach thousands, offering support for embattled colleagues and guides for action campaigns. And although it can sometimes feel like a losing battle — last year more than 1,600 titles were banned in schools across the country, with Texas leading the nation — their fight continues. “I hope we inspire others to get involved,” says Foote. “We need to keep speaking up.”
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Carolyn Foote and Becky Calzada
Carolyn Foote and Becky Calzada.Allie & Jesse
When Carolyn Foote, 63, and Becky Calzada, 57, saw Texas lawmakers threaten to ban books pertaining to race, racism and LGBTQ+ themes, they formed FReadom Fighters to rally an army of booklovers on social media and in their communities. “Books shouldn’t be contraband,” says Foote, a retired librarian. “We’ve lost our way in this contentious environment. We forgot what’s at the core of libraries: getting kids excited about reading.”
Adds Calzada, a library coordinator for an Austin-area school district: “Sometimes you need a book to bring reassurance and to validate.”
The group’sTwitter accountandwebsitereach thousands, offering support for embattled colleagues and guides for action campaigns. And although it can sometimes feel like a losing battle — last year more than 1,600 titles were banned in schools across the country, with Texas leading the nation — their fight continues. “I hope we inspire others to get involved,” says Foote. “We need to keep speaking up.”
06of 09
Olivia Dunne
Olivia Dunne.Brandon Gallego
Deals with Vuori, American Eagle, Forever 21 and others have made Dunne the highest-paid female NCAA athlete and, along with gymnast Sunisa Lee, one of only two women in the Top 10. But the ripple effect spreads far beyond a “seven figure” annual haul, particularly as women’s athletics continue to lag behind men’s for university funding, advertiser interest and even fan support.
“I figured I could pave the way and be the example,” she explains. “Opportunities for men and women in NCAA sports should be equal.”
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Sarah Polley
Rii Schroer/Eyevine
In 2012, after welcoming her third child, Oscar nominee Sarah Polley felt she needed to step away from directing. “I didn’t want to completely disappear on my kids for many months at a time,” says the 44-year-old. “It was sad to know the profession I invested so much time and energy into was something I didn’t feel I could keep doing and be a present parent.”
When producers Dede Gardner and Frances McDormand asked Polley in 2019 to direct an adaptation of Miriam Toews’s novelWomen Talking, they assured her she could do things on her terms. So she established protocols that included allowing the cast and crew to take breaks as needed, providing access to an on-set therapist and, most notably, committing to shorter work days — considerably less than the industry-typical 16 hours. “Most days we were home to put kids to bed or even sometimes for dinner, which shouldn’t be revolutionary, but on a film set it is,” she says.
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Clarice Phelps and Candice Halbert
Chemists Clarice Phelps and Candice Halbert of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee spend their off-hours bringing science, technology, engineering and math education to underserved Knoxville-area youth throughYO-STEM, a nonprofit Halbert founded seven years ago.
“Exposing youth to more diverse individuals allows them to pursue these different careers,” says Halbert, 42, who helps bring chemistry, robotics, 3D design and coding curriculum to more than 3,000 children. “It’s a two-way street: We’re preparing these students so they can take our place — to hire them and watch them grow.”
09of 09Yu TsaiFor more with PEOPLE’s Women Changing the World, pick up the March 13 issue, on newsstands Friday.
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For more with PEOPLE’s Women Changing the World, pick up the March 13 issue, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
