Tzi Ma, star of The Farewell, Mulan, Arrival and The Ladykillers, talks to us about his acting career, advice for new actors and for filmmakers on working with actors, waiting for the right project to play a villain onscreen, and the freedom that comes with wider ranging roles for Asian-American actors.
“Well, we’re in a bit of a soup.”
When I sit down with Tzi Ma, we begin by discussing the current state of the world. In particular, how a certain former President has churned up of some ugly elements of American society that had previously been bubbling just below the surface – elements that were all too keen to jump on the idea of a ‘Chinese virus’, and use it as another excuse to extol racist ideals and abuses.