Tzi Ma (Chinese: 馬泰;) (born June 10, 1962) is a Hong Kong-American actor. He is well known for his roles in television shows, such as The Man in the High Castle and 24, and films, such as Dante's Peak, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 3, Arrival, The Farewell, Tigertail, and Mulan. In 2021, he starred in the American martial arts television series Kung Fu on The CW.
Early life and education
Ma was born in Hong Kong, the youngest of seven children. In 1949, Ma's father moved to Hong Kong following the Chinese Communist Revolution, and then to the United States when Ma was five years old, following political turmoil in Hong Kong. Ma grew up in New York, where his parents ran the American Chinese restaurant, Ho Wah, in Staten Island. According to Ma, immigration activist Lau Sing Kee had previously operated the restaurant. He found his love for acting when he played Buffalo Bill in an elementary school production of Annie Get Your Gun.