After taking home numerous Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Awards, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” continues to earn well-deserved accolades. On Jan. 24, the comedy-drama scored 11 Oscar nominations, including one for best picture. Each of the core cast members, who are all first-time Oscar nominees, earned individual recognitions for their performances: Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian best actress nominee, Ke Huy Quan is up for best supporting actor, and both Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis were honored in the best supporting actress category.
In addition, writing-directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner, also known as the Daniels, were nominated for best director and original screenplay. Centering an Asian American immigrant family, the film also received nods for its original score, costume design, and film editing.
“EEAAO” is having much success this award season. It’s been nominated for 10 BAFTAs and five SAG awards, in addition to winning the aforementioned five Critics’ Choice awards and two Golden Globes. In her best actress acceptance speech at the latter ceremony, Yeoh reflected on her 40-year professional journey, as well as her portrayal of the great Evelyn Wang. “I was given this gift of playing this woman who resonated so deeply with me and with so many people, because at the end of the day, in whatever universe she was at, she was just fighting – fighting for love, for her family.” Quan also gave an emotional speech as he accepted his best supporting actor award, expressing gratitude for his return to Hollywood.
Fans and critics alike expect the film to win big at the Oscars as well, which air on March 12. Read ahead to see how the rest of the “EEAAO” cast and crew reacted to the movie’s 11 nominations.
Related: Stephanie Hsu on the Timely Chaos of “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
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Michelle Yeoh Reacts to "Everything Everywhere All at Once" 2023 Oscar Nominations
“I am overwhelmed and overjoyed with happiness!” the first-time Oscar nominee wrote on Instagram. “Every single person who worked on this film poured their heart and soul into it, and we are all so grateful to the Academy for recognizing so many from our ‘EEAAO’ family. Playing Evelyn Wang has been one of the great privileges of my 40 year career. It is truly the role of a lifetime. Thank you to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for seeing me and for this opportunity, I will forever cherish this moment.”
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Ke Huy Quan Reacts to "Everything Everywhere All at Once" 2023 Oscar Nominations
“Shouting out a HUGE thank you to @theacademy for this unbelievable honor,” the actor shared on Instagram. “I am screaming so loud, I’m sure I’ll lose my voice by the end of day. Thank you to EVERYONE who’s reached out with congratulations and to ALL OF YOU who have been following me along on this incredible journey. I am so grateful to you all. This is for sure one of the happiest days of my life. CONGRATULATIONS to the entire #EEAAO family for our 11 nominations. And lastly, CONGRATULATIONS to our matriarch @michelleyeoh_official for her historic nomination. Cheers.”
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Stephanie Hsu Reacts to "Everything Everywhere All at Once" 2023 Oscar Nominations
Shortly after a long flight from Sydney, Hsu spoke about the film’s many nominations, including her own, in an interview with Good Morning America on Jan. 24. “The flight from Sydney is 15 hours and I knew this was going to be happening at the tail end of my flight, so I wanted to do a ritual and watch our movie one more time, as like a, ‘No matter what happens this is the thing that we did,'” she said. “I love our movie so much. I love every single person who has poured so much of their hearts into this project. I feel like this is a big hug for us. We’re the little scrappy ones in the corner that put together this big, insane thing, and I feel like everyone is really cheering us on. I feel very honored. I get what that means now, an honor to be nominated.”
Hsu also expressed her gratitude for the internet and her fans, which she “never knew [she] would have.” She added, “I know that so many people have been rallying behind me and wanting to lift me up in this moment, so I feel so held by hundreds and thousands of anonymous people that I’ve never met.”
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Daniel Kwan Reacts to "Everything Everywhere All at Once" 2023 Oscar Nominations
Kwan reflected on the historic nominations in a lengthy caption on Instagram. “This morning, with the Oscar nominee announcement, it was hard not to imagine myself as a kid and how impossible this would have seemed to him,” he wrote. “No one in my family worked in arts or entertainment, I didn’t even think it was a possibility for me to make a living as a creative person. My entire childhood I would suppress my creative urges because I didn’t think I had a future there. It also meant I spent most of childhood believing I had very little to offer the world.”
He added, “I can’t overemphasize how unexpected any of this was when we were shooting this film. The fact that we got to make this movie would have been enough for any of us.”
Kwan also spoke about the Jan. 21 shooting in the predominantly Asian American community of Monterey Park, CA, writing, “It is bizarre and somewhat nauseating to be celebrating this morning after the string of tragedies that took place over the weekend. I wish us all the grace and space to process and heal in the chaos.”
