Episode 66 - Tzi Ma

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

Born in Hong Kong and raised in New York, Tzi Ma is a genre-spanning actor who has dedicated his career to documenting the Asian American experience. With every acting decision - whether it be on stage, screen or television - he has sought to portray fully rounded characters, working in an industry where accurate representation has not always been high on the agenda. He has turned down roles he has considered to be stereotypical, and instead, Tzi prefers to champion the voices of minority filmmakers often working with no money on projects which may never see the light of day. Sometimes, they break through - like Lulu Wang's critically acclaimed 2019 comedy drama, The Farewell. Even his mainstream roles challenge the preconceived notions of Asian characters in Hollywood movies: a compassionate father in Mulan; a geologist in Dante's Peak; a military commander in Arrival; Michael Caine's fixer in The Quiet American; 'the General' in the Coen brothers comedy The Ladykillers. When he has played roles in martial arts projects - like Rapid Fire, Rush Hour, or the Martial Law TV series - it was only ever to make the Asian leads look good, helping to promote the reputations of actors like Brandon Lee, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in the USA. In his latest TV series, Kung Fu - a reboot of the classic 1970s show starring David Carradine, which premieres on The CW Network on 7 April 2021 - he plays another doting father, further cementing his role as Hollywood's 'go-to Asian dad', according to Variety. It's a primetime American show focusing on an Asian American family, and another step towards improving representation on television, telling new stories from different voices and cultures. So what's next for Tzi Ma? Tune into the first episode in our sixth season to find out.

LINKS

#StopAsianHate: Following a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the USA, we stand in support of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and call for an end to hate, discrimination and racism. Tzi is a vocal supporter of the #StopAsianHate campaign and has taken part in an initiative - organised by AT&T, the parent company of WarnerMedia - to raise awareness and encourage donations to help AAPI small businesses. Read more at att.com/StopAsianHate and watch the campaign video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tM-5YtfK1NY

The CW website: https://www.cwtv.com/

The CW 'Kung Fu' trailer: https://youtu.be/NvtMjNA9PJM

Tzi Ma on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002245/

Tzi Ma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tzima8/

Tzi Ma on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tzima8

Tzi Ma on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Official.TziMa/

Tzi Ma profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileTziMa

Variety article, 'How ‘Mulan’s’ Tzi Ma became Hollywood’s go-to Asian dad': https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tzi-ma-mulan-hollywood-career-1234758692/

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