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Tzi Ma, actor
Actor

Tzi Ma: Movies & Box Office

films
25
on screen
1979–2025
box office
$497M
average score
63
Born
February 23, 1962 (age 64)
Birthplace
British Hong Kong
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Actor
Years active
1979-present
Spouses
Christina Ma
Known for

The Best Tzi Ma Movies

The highest-rated films Tzi Ma is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The Farewell (2019) scores highest, at 86. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Tzi Ma's Career in Numbers

Tzi Ma's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Tzi Ma works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Cocaine Cowboys (1979) to Gunslingers (2025), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.

Tzi Ma Movies by Decade

  1. 1970s 1
  2. 1990s 5
  3. 2000s 2
  4. 2010s 9
  5. 2020s 7

The 2010s were Tzi Ma's busiest decade, with 9 films.

Tzi Ma Movies by Genre

  • Drama 13
  • Action 5
  • Comedy 2
  • Crime 2
  • Romance 1
  • Horror 1

Drama is the genre Tzi Ma has worked in most, with 13 films, ahead of action (5).

Tzi Ma Career Milestones

First film
Cocaine Cowboys 1979
Biggest box office hit
Skyscraper $305M worldwide
Best-rated film
The Farewell Movie Echo Score 86
Newest film
Gunslingers 2025
25 credits

Tzi Ma Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Tzi Ma is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 63. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Tzi Ma Movies as an Actor

24
  1. 2025 Gunslingers (2025) movie poster Gunslingers as Lin · Action Movie Echo Score: 30
  2. 2024 Five Blind Dates (2024) movie poster Five Blind Dates as Xian · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 66
  3. 2020 A Sugar & Spice Holiday (2020) movie poster A Sugar & Spice Holiday as Pete Yung · Romance
  4. 2020 The Kid Detective (2020) movie poster The Kid Detective Drama Movie Echo Score: 82
  5. 2020 A Shot Through the Wall (2020) movie poster A Shot Through the Wall as Chow Tan · Crime Movie Echo Score: 74
  6. 2020 Mulan (2020) movie poster Mulan as Zhou · Action Movie Echo Score: 50
  7. 2020 Tigertail (2020) movie poster Tigertail as Grover · Drama Movie Echo Score: 63
  8. 2019 The Farewell (2019) movie poster The Farewell as Haiyan · Drama Movie Echo Score: 86
  9. 2018 Bad Company (2018) movie poster Bad Company as Hawking · Action
  10. 2018 Skyscraper (2018) movie poster Skyscraper Action Movie Echo Score: 49
  11. 2017 The Jade Pendant (2017) movie poster The Jade Pendant as Yu Hing · Drama
  12. 2017 Meditation Park (2017) movie poster Meditation Park as Bing · Drama
  13. 2017 An American Girl Story - Ivy & Julie 1976: A Happy Balance (2017) movie poster An American Girl Story - Ivy & Julie 1976: A Happy Balance as Gung-Gung · Drama
  14. 2015 Baby Steps (2015) movie poster Baby Steps as Mr. Lin · Comedy
  15. 2013 #1 Serial Killer (2013) movie poster #1 Serial Killer as Mr. Chang · Horror
  16. 2013 Someone I Used to Know (2013) movie poster Someone I Used to Know as Simo Kim · Drama
  17. 2008 All God’s Children Can Dance (2008) movie poster All God’s Children Can Dance as Glen · Drama
  18. 2008 The Sensei (2008) movie poster The Sensei as Buddhist Monk · Drama
  19. 1999 Catfish in Black Bean Sauce (1999) movie poster Catfish in Black Bean Sauce as Vinh · Drama
  20. 1997 Red Corner (1997) movie poster Red Corner as Li Cheng · Drama
  21. 1996 Chain Reaction (1996) movie poster Chain Reaction Action
  22. 1994 Golden Gate (1994) movie poster Golden Gate as Chen Jung Song · Drama
  23. 1992 Rapid Fire (1992) movie poster Rapid Fire as Kinman Tau · Crime
  24. 1979 Cocaine Cowboys (1979) movie poster Cocaine Cowboys as Jimmy Lee · Drama

Tzi Ma in Documentaries & Specials

1
  1. 2006 The Slanted Screen (2006) movie poster The Slanted Screen as Himself · Documentary
Biography

Who Is Tzi Ma?

Tzi Ma was born in British Hong Kong in 1962 and is 64 years old. Credited on films since 1979, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Tzi Ma, (Chinese: 馬泰) is a Hong Kong-American actor born in Hong Kong as the youngest of seven children. He found his passion for acting at a very young age when he portrayed Buffalo Bill in an elementary school production of 'Annie Get Your Gun'. Moving to New York at the tender age of five, Ma grew up watching his parents run an American Chinese restaurant, named Ho Wah, in Staten Island. His dramatic instinct found an influential idol in Mako’s performance in 'Pacific Overtures' in 1976. Ma’s love for the stage started to deepen when he started collaborating with his friend David Henry Hwang on plays. He first professionally entered the acting world in 1973 via experimental theater, leveraging his martial arts skills in his debut role as Jimmy Lee in 'Cocaine Cowboys' (1979). He's starred in many remarkable TV shows like 'The Man in the High Castle' and '24', and films like 'Dante's Peak', 'Rush Hour' series, 'Arrival', 'The Farewell', 'Tigertail', and 'Mulan'. From 2021 to 2023, he starred in the American martial arts TV series 'Kung Fu' on The CW. He has been awarded the Cine Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor for 'The Dance and The Railroad' and the Garland Award for his performance in 'Flower Drum Song'.

Works with

Who Tzi Ma Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Tzi Ma shares the most films with. Joan Chen comes first, with 3 films together, followed by Fiona Fu (2).

FAQ

Tzi Ma: Questions & Answers

How many movies Tzi Ma has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Tzi Ma been in?

Tzi Ma is credited on 25 films, from 1979 to 2025. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Tzi Ma's highest-grossing movie?

Skyscraper (2018) is Tzi Ma's biggest box office hit, with $305M worldwide, ahead of Mulan (2020) ($70M). Across every film with box office figures, Tzi Ma's movies have made $497M.

Tzi Ma's biggest hits

What is the best Tzi Ma movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Tzi Ma's best-rated film is The Farewell (2019) with a score of 86, followed by The Kid Detective (2020) (82).

Best Tzi Ma movies, ranked

How old is Tzi Ma?

Tzi Ma is 64 years old, born on February 23, 1962 in British Hong Kong.

What is Tzi Ma's newest movie?

The most recent film on Tzi Ma's filmography is Gunslingers (2025), in the role of Lin.

Who does Tzi Ma work with most often?

Tzi Ma shares the most films with Joan Chen (3 films), Fiona Fu (2 films) and Byron Mann (2 films).

The Best Tzi Ma Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 25 credits.

See the ranking

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