Tzi Ma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tzi Ma
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Ma in 2016
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| Born | February 23, 1962 |
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | Actor | ||||||||||||
| Years active | 1979–present | ||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Christina Ma
(m. 1994) |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 馬泰 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 马泰 | ||||||||||||
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Tzi Ma (Chinese: 馬泰) is a talented Hong Kong-American actor. He has appeared in many popular TV shows and movies. You might know him from The Man in the High Castle or 24. He also starred in films like Rush Hour, Arrival, The Farewell, and Mulan. From 2021 to 2023, he played a main role in the TV series Kung Fu.
Contents
Growing Up and Early Life
Tzi Ma was born in Hong Kong. He was the youngest of seven children in his family. When he was five years old, his family moved to the United States. They settled in New York.
His parents ran a Chinese restaurant called Ho Wah in Staten Island. This is where Tzi Ma grew up. He discovered his love for acting when he played Buffalo Bill in a play called Annie Get Your Gun in elementary school.
Tzi Ma's Acting Journey
Tzi Ma has a strong connection to theatre. He was greatly inspired by another actor named Mako. Mako's performance in a play called Pacific Overtures in 1976 made a big impression on him.
Tzi Ma is good friends with a famous writer named David Henry Hwang. They have worked together on many plays, like FOB and Yellow Face. Tzi Ma started acting professionally in 1973. His first big theatre show was in 1975. He played the Monkey King in a play based on a Beijing opera. Thousands of people watched this performance!
Before he started working in films, Tzi Ma also practiced martial arts.
Film Roles
Tzi Ma has been in many movies. He played Consul Han in the Rush Hour movies. He was also General Shang in the science fiction film Arrival (2016). In Disney's live-action movie Mulan (2020), he played Hua Zhou, Mulan's father.
Some of his other notable film roles include Dante's Peak, The Quiet American, and The Ladykillers. He has also appeared in many independent films made by Asian American filmmakers, such as Red Doors and The Farewell.
He was interviewed for a documentary called The Slanted Screen (2006). This film looked at how Asian men are shown in Hollywood movies.
Television Roles
Tzi Ma has had many important roles on television. He played Cheng Zhi, a security chief, on the TV series 24. He also voiced Bàba Ling in the animated show American Dad!
He was a main character, Lee "Nemesis" Hei, in the first season of Martial Law. You might have also seen him in guest roles on shows like MacGyver, ER, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Grey's Anatomy, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
He played General Onoda in the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle. In 2019, he was cast as Mr. Young in the Netflix series Wu Assassins.
From 2021 to 2023, Tzi Ma starred as Jin Chen in The CW's modern version of the classic Kung Fu series.
Awards
Tzi Ma has won awards for his acting. He received the Cine Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor for his role in The Dance and The Railroad. He also won the Garland Award for his acting in Flower Drum Song.
See also
In Spanish: Tzi Ma para niños
