Tzi Ma

First role: Cocaine Cowboys (1979)

You Know Him From: Rush Hour, The Farewell, Mulan

Be Sure to Check Out: Tigertail, Dante’s Peak, Rapid Fire

In the last few years, Tzi Ma has started popping up in some of Hollywood’s most high-profile films: playing Awkwafina’s father in Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, Mulan’s father in Niki Caro’s live-action take on the beloved Disney film, and the older Pin-Jui in Alan Yang’s semi-autobiographical film Tigertail. But the ubiquitous actor has, as his fans know, delivered striking and indelible work for decades. Born in Hong Kong and raised on Staten Island, Ma is a quintessential New York actor with roots on the stage that inform his work in film and television. Ma signed up for drama in high school and, having been inspired by seeing Mako’s towering lead performance in Pacific Overtures, pursued the profession full time. Like Mako, Ma’s career would not be defined by one kind of role or one medium.

Through his early work in experimental theater coupled with his study of martial arts, Ma honed his physical abilities. His command over his body is always apparent, changing his gait and posture for each performance, whether he’s playing a diplomat (Rush Hour), a volcanologist (Dante’s Peak), a general (Arrival), or a fire chief (Skyscraper). This physicality, coupled with the sheer variety of roles he’s played, brings a Shakespearean quality to his screen presence. Ma understands that, as in Shakespeare, each role in a story is important and, no matter the size, deserves care and attention in creating an interior world for the character to inhabit. A master of dialects and languages, Ma has played ethnicities including Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Laotian, Taiwanese, and Japanese. Even after racking up more than 100 credits — including appearances in more than 75 different television shows — it’s as if you’re seeing him for the first time every time he’s onscreen. As if he is that person in real life, caught by a camera vérité, grounding and sharpening every project graced by his presence. read more…

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. read more…

During a panel Wednesday promoting their upcoming series, Kung Fu stars Olivia Liang and Tzi Ma responded to the rising number of violent acts against Asian Americans, condemning the latest incident in Atlanta when a gunman killed eight people, a majority of whom were Asian American.

“What happened last night in Atlanta with eight people killed breaks my heart and I’m not quite sure what the short-term fix is,” said Ma, who appears in the upcoming series as Jin, the father of Liang’s Nicky Shen. “We are the long-term solution.”

“It pains me, everyday it happens, everyday it’s something,” he added. read more…

The upcoming new shows Kung Fu and The Republic of Sarah get premiere dates on The CW, joining the network’s roster of long-running series. The two new titles, which were ordered to series back in May 2020, tell distinct stories.

TVLine reports that Kung Fu will take over Riverdale’s time slot beginning on Wednesday, April 7. Riverdale will then return on July 7 to finish out its season. For its part, The Republic of Sarah will arrive on Monday June 14. It will debut in the time slot of Black Lightning, though it is unclear if the superhero series would have ended its run by then. read more…