By Mike McCarthy
Tzi Ma has been keeping you entertained for decades and he keeps getting better. Having been a part of so many fantastic shows and films, it’s not surprising that Tzi is often on the big or small screen in your living rooms or theaters. Whether it be small parts like being on Macgyver or Star Trek: The Next Generation back in the late 80’s to recurring on Once Upon a Time as The Dragon to being in films such as Arrival, Rush Hour and so many more favorites.
Tzi Ma is currently spread pretty wide across television and film, but include his newest show The Man in the High Castle which comes back in December on Amazon Prime, there is no way to miss him. Tzi brings joy to so many people with all of the characters he has played, known mostly to us as Cheng Zhi from 24 or Consul Han from the Rush Hour films. Reprising his role as The Dragon this past weekend on Once Upon a Time, Tzi Ma also stars in the newly released film, Arrival also starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. If you aren’t watching Once Upon a Time, The Man in the High Castle or checking out Arrival, better do so and check out the brilliance that is, Tzi Ma.
Wingman Magazine: The Man on the High Castle, Once Upon a Time, Arrival, Veep …are you trying to take over television and film this year?
Tzi Ma: (Laughing) In every possible way that is what I am trying to do. It is my diabolical scheme. Most of the time I try and reach for the best story. We look for a character or a show that welcomes in the change and varying mediums and genres that we work in. In this past two years I have had the opportunity to do some comedy, which is something that has escaped me for a number of decades. Interestingly enough, it’s what I started in, but ever since it all got so serious man. I just couldn’t shake it. It was always, “get that guy…it’s a serious role.” (chuckles) The serious stuff will continue to be there and I enjoy it a great deal, but the comedy stuff is fun to do things outside the box. In Rush Hour I was the straight, serious guy and Chris (Tucker) and Jackie (Chan) are the funny ones. When you have them on set everyone around them are the straight guys compared to them.
Wingman Magazine: Your new film, Arrival which also stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner comes out on November 11th. What can you tell us about the film and your character, General Shang?
Tzi Ma: We can’t talk too much about Arrival because we want the fans and viewers to be able to share in the amazement of it. It’s a different kind of film, really. It’s hard to describe because it’s a big film, but it’s also a small film, because it is so intimate. The cinematic scope of the movie is so big, but the story is so intimate and personal that it is hard to categorize it. It is also an incredibly smart film and I don’t mean that you have to have a high IQ to understand what’s going on. I really believe that it can reach a very wide and varied audience and that’s what is exciting about this movie. What this film is trying to tackle and say is very rewarding that all audiences will be thankful that they went to this film. It is just so beautifully done. The cinematography for this film from Bradford (Young) just makes it into an absolutely gorgeous film. All of the productions and soundscape of everything makes you sit there and just go, “wow.” It’s heart, it’s story, it’s visuals are all phenomenal. The score is absolutely exquisite and grabs you into this realm where you can’t escape. When it grabs you I don’t think you can let go. The film reminds me of a black and white watercolor painting. When you dab the ink into water and touch the parchment paper and it diffuses and expands, just absolutely gorgeous. It has the suspenseful element when you don’t know what is going to happen and all of this impending danger that is lurking. Arrival keeps you on the edge of your seat with all of these elements.
My character General Shang is the leader of the Chinese military. Needless to say, he is quite influential and the world knows about him. He is very respected but also extremely feared. What I can share is that everyone calls him “The Big Domino.” So we all know when you set up dominoes, what can happen. The nickname alone will give you chills. What he says, makes everything fall. I think that says it all, and the writers did a fantastic job by hanging this moniker on him. The funny part of it is that everyone talks about him, but you never really see him, he’s always in the shadows. Your imagination really takes over. He is ever present in this film. Once Amy (Adam) gets into the investigation of these 12 visiting space crafts around the world, he’s there. You never see him, but he’s there. That’s the kind of role that I like. Doesn’t matter how big or small the role is, but they are the pivotal roles in films that I love. We have such a great cast. When Forrest Whitaker mentions your name as a character, you can’t get better PR than that. The entire cast is doing all of the acting for me, so it makes it easy. They are acting the hell out of it for me, let me tell you.
Wingman Magazine: We won’t take this as gospel, but in your opinion… do aliens or extraterrestrials exist?
Tzi Ma: I am a believer (chuckles) simply put. Really, what do we know about our Universe? Every time you look at it in a science aspect, we find out more things that we don’t know. With how big our Universe is and how big other Universes are, there has to be some aliens out there. We don’t know where they are and the fact that there are moving black holes that could swallow us up at anytime. I could NOT believe that there aren’t aliens out there in existence. If we could grasp just the little concept of how small our universe really is, we could back off on how important we really think we are.
Wingman Magazine: The trailer for Arrival looks incredible. It feels more like the film Contact than it does Independence Day. Can you enlighten us on the direction it is going, without getting us or you into hot water?
Tzi Ma: That’s very astute of you to see that in such a short clip. It is very introverted in that way. Arrival follows this journey by Dr. Banks, who is Amy’s character. She is so exquisite in this movie it just gives me goosebumps. In many ways she really is the eyes of the audience. You go through this journey with her and see it through her perspective and her point of view that I don’t think other films like this have ever had before, which makes it unique.
Wingman Magazine: The Dragon is returning to Once Upon a Time in the next few weeks.
Tzi Ma: I’m coming baby! Once Upon a Time is obviously all about fairy tales that you have ever known and then some. The Dragon is a mythical character but in human form. You often see him as an herbalist. If you have any kind of ills whether they be physical or magical, he has his little pouch of answers. But…he is a dragon in the fact that he is indestructible. You can’t kill him. This particular character is a godsend for actors, you just can’t kill the dude off. There was always a way to come back. He is a benevolent guy, a good guy. He’s not one of those evil dragons that will go after you in that sense. He is wise and noble and the bearer of Emperors, so he is a little different from the western dragons that breath fire.
Wingman Magazine: With 2 of the shows you were on being rebooted ( 24, MacGyver) what is your stand on remakes as a whole? The film series you were in, Rush Hour was turned into a television show as well.
Tzi Ma: Did you just bring up Macgyver? Man you do your research (laughs). Macgyver was one of my first jobs out here on the west coast. If it’s done well, I think they should do it. Like anything else, why reboot something just for the sake of doing it. If you really have thought of it, 24: Live Another Day was a whole different show. It really is in the producer’s hands whether or not they know what they are going after, their plan or how they want to do it. The fans want it so you don’t want to disappoint the audience and need to have the audience in mind when rebooting something.