Malaysian born Michelle Yeoh attended the London Royal Academy of Dance in her teens, but a spinal injury ended her dream of becoming a prima ballerina - it's a little surprising, therefore, that she's made her name as a star of action films starring opposite such notables as Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat. She achieved international fame after appearing in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the award-winning action thriller Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.