The 48-year-old former Bond girl plays a retired assassin haunted by her past life in the kung fu thriller "Reign of Assassins," which opens in Asia on Thursday. Producer John Woo crafted the role in the $14 million picture for his longtime friend when both Hong Kong transplants were developing their Hollywood careers in Los Angeles.

Yeoh has focused on her career in the West since the global success of "Crouching Tiger," appearing in a range of works including «Memoirs of a Geisha,» the third installment of «The Mummy» franchise and Oscar winner Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller "Sunshine." Many of these parts were dramatic roles. The extended absence might have some fans wondering if the ballerina-turned-action star has lost her touch for the more physical screen performances she is known for in Asia.

A former Miss Malaysia, Yeoh parlayed her beauty pageant credentials into a full-fledged acting career in Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s, where she earned a reputation as a gritty daredevil who could hold her own against — and even outshine — the likes of Jackie Chan and Jet Li in complicated kung fu and stunt sequences.