Tzi Ma
The dignified, authoritative face of Asian fatherhood and wisdom in Hollywood, breaking stereotypes for over three decades.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Hong Kong-American actor·Birthday: June 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
For decades, if a Hollywood script called for a wise statesman, a stern but loving father, or a figure of quiet authority from the East, the role likely landed on Tzi Ma's desk. The Hong Kong-born actor has built an extraordinary career as the go-to patriarch, bringing a profound depth and humanity to parts that in lesser hands could be mere stereotypes. His face is one of immense reliability—seen in action flicks like 'Rush Hour,' disaster films like 'Dante's Peak,' and sci-fi like 'Arrival,' where his brief role as a general carried significant weight. The 21st century saw a renaissance in the complexity of roles offered to him. He broke hearts as the quietly grieving father in 'The Farewell,' brought generational gravity to 'Tigertail,' and finally stepped into the legendary shoes of Hua Mulan's father in the live-action 'Mulan.' On television, from '24' to 'Kung Fu,' he has commanded respect. Ma's journey is one of gradual, steadfast conquest, using his talent to infuse every part with an integrity that has slowly, surely, expanded the very idea of who gets to be the father on screen.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tzi was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tzi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Tzi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Delivered a critically acclaimed performance as the father in Lulu Wang's award-winning film 'The Farewell.'
- Played a recurring role as Cheng Zhi, a Chinese consul, across multiple seasons of the thriller series '24.'
- Starred as Mulan's father, Hua Zhou, in Disney's 2020 live-action adaptation of 'Mulan.'
- Had a memorable supporting role in Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated sci-fi film 'Arrival.'
Did You Know?
His first name, 'Tzi,' means 'son' in Cantonese, and his full name translates to 'Son of a Horse.'
He is a trained martial artist, which informed his role on the series 'Kung Fu.'
He appeared in two different 'Rush Hour' films, playing different characters in the first and third installments.
He voiced General Li in the popular video game 'Star Wars: The Old Republic.'
“I bring my history, my culture, into every role I take.”
