Tzi Ma, a renowned actor, has been blazing new trails for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in Hollywood for over four decades. His groundbreaking career spans film, television, and theater, encompassing a wide range of genres.
Ma's performances have garnered widespread acclaim from critics and audiences worldwide. He has appeared in big-budget blockbusters like the Rush Hour series, as well as award-winning independent films like Tigertail.
Since 2021, Ma has co-starred in The CW's hit action-adventure series Kung Fu as Jin Shen, a San Francisco restaurant owner and father of the show's heroine, Nicky Shen.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Staten Island, Ma worked at his family-owned restaurant while honing his craft in the New York theater scene throughout the 1970s. Despite limited opportunities for AAPI actors, Ma refused to perform roles he considered demeaning or stereotypical.
Ma's early career was marked by collaborations with emerging playwrights David Henry Hwang and Eric Overmyer. He also worked as a counselor specializing in at-risk youth in Manhattan's Chinatown and volunteered for various community organizations.
Ma made his screen debut in 1978 alongside Jack Palance and Andy Warhol in the cult classic Cocaine Cowboys. Throughout the 1980s, he continued to perform in regional and off-Broadway productions while appearing as a guest star on hit television programs.
In the 1990s, Ma became a ubiquitous presence at the multiplex with memorable roles in films like Rapid Fire, Chain Reaction, Dante's Peak, and Rush Hour.
Since 2000, Ma has successfully balanced a prolific film and television career, appearing in movies like The Quiet American, The Ladykillers, Rush Hour 3, and Arrival, and playing recurring characters on popular shows like 24, American Dad!, Hell on Wheels, The Man in High Castle, and Veep.
Ma has also been active in the world of independent cinema for over two decades, appearing in features and short films by up-and-coming AAPI and Asian directors. Notable works include Mina Shum's Meditation Park, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and Lulu Wang's The Farewell.
Now entering his fifth decade in show business, Ma continues to challenge himself with diverse and unconventional roles. In 2020, he earned some of the best reviews of his career with his performance in Netflix's Tigertail. Later that year, Ma co-starred in Disney's action-adventure Mulan, portraying the title character's doting father.
Ma's upcoming projects include the Amazon film 5 Blind Dates and making his feature directorial debut with Hanako, a historical drama about Korea's "comfort women".
