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.