Michelle Yeoh's My London

Home is...
The valleys of Ipoh in Malaysia, where my parents live in an idyllic city surrounded by limestone cliffs. The local people are charming, and the food is incredible. I also call Geneva and Paris home because my partner Jean [Todt] works in motorsport and lives between those cities.

Where do you stay in London?
With friends in Chelsea. I usually borrow a bike to explore the area. I'm pretty fearless - my little excursions worry my friends because I never know where I'm going.

What advice would you give a tourist?
Don't try to do everything. Go on an open-top bus tour to give you a quick overview of the city, then if you have a really good friend who knows London, let them take you off the tourist map. And don't miss the Houses of Parliament.

Which shops do you rely on?
Harrods for the food court; I love the colours and variety of things you can buy. I enjoy lapping up the atmosphere around the Market Place in Covent Garden. I'm usually on the lookout for hats whenever I'm there. I come from a dance background so I used to go to dance classes at the studios off Endell Street. For delicious cakes and scones I go to Richoux on Brompton Road. If I need eveningwear I like Alberta Ferretti (S/S 2012, right) and go to her store on Sloane Street.

What's the most romantic thing someone's done for you here?
Taken me on a picnic in Hyde Park in a lovely, discreet corner and then we went boating, too.

What's your earliest London memory?
The sight of flower stalls and daffodils by the side of the road in spring.

Do you have a recurring dream?
I'm flying, either soaring in the sky, around rooms or among trees.

How would you like the opening line of your obituary to read?
'She lived an extraordinary life and died peacefully.' It's not only how you live but how you die that's important.

Which animal would you like to be?
A blue bird of paradise. It is the most fabulous blue, one of the most beautiful birds.

What's your biggest extravagance?
Having time to do nothing, having breakfast in bed with my love, snuggling, watching a movie and more snuggling.

What would you do as Mayor for the day?
I'd start a 'Clean up and Plant' day where everyone would plant something on their street or in their local park. It would be a lasting legacy.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
My father told me to be appreciative, contented and never afraid to live my life.

If you could live in any London building which would it be?
The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, because of its location in Knightsbridge, the spa and great service 24/7. I'd live in the penthouse.

What are you up to at the moment?
I am busy promoting The Lady; the response has been breathtaking. It's been very emotional, I've had interviewers welling up in front of me.

What was the last play you saw here?
Two years ago I saw The Phantom of the Opera for the second time. The grandeur, mystery and beautiful songs are all elements that make the theatre so exciting.

Who's your hero?
My father for his integrity and teaching me life's values.

What do you most like wearing?
It depends on my mood. I love the femininity of dresses by Roberto Cavalli.

What's the best meal you've had here?
A home-cooked meal with some friends - roast chicken, pasta, an incredible bottle of Bordeaux and wonderful conversation. I also have happy memories of sake-fuelled dinners at Nobu when filming the movie Sunshine with Cliff Curtis and Troy Garity.

Where did you last go on holiday?
Last summer, Jean and I were on a beautiful boat cruising up and down the Gulf of California. We swam with sea lions and watched 26 pilot whales swim around our boat. The last time I was back in Malaysia with my family we hiked up the Kledang Hill at dawn and watched the sunrise. I saw in 2012 with Jean and my family on a beach in Bali, with a sea breeze, incredible fresh seafood and fireworks.
The Lady is in cinemas now