Malaysian-born action star and former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh received France's top civilian honor in a ceremony on Wednesday.

The French ambassador to Malaysia, Alain du Boispean, presented Yeoh with the chevalier (knight) of the Legion of Honor at his embassy residence in Kuala Lumpur.

Yeoh, 45, a former Miss Malaysia, shot to international fame when she co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

She then starred in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- a Chinese-language martial arts epic that was an international hit -- and Memoirs of a Geisha based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden.

Yeoh, who worked with French director Mathieu Kassovitz in a science-fiction adventure movie called Babylon AD, is currently filming Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

The Hong Kong-based actress is engaged to Formula 1 Ferrari motor racing team boss Jean Todt, a previous Legion of Honor recipient.
 
(Agencies via CRI.cn October 5, 2007)