2019.038.004 The Family Journey of Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma, pioneering actor whose stage/TV/film performances have delighted audiences worldwide, challenged Hollywood stereotypes and broken down barriers for Asian American/Pacific Islanders. MOCA 2019 Legacy Awards Gala honoree, talks about growing up on Staten Island and working in his parent’s restaurant. He goes on to discuss how he got into theater during grade school and how it drove his acting career. The conversation progresses to his acts of activism during his teens and his association with progressive organizations such as the Black Panthers and the Students for a Democratic Society. He further elaborates on his career and discusses Asian representation in Hollywood.

0:00 - The importance of 10/10, birth and coming to the US (NY), father’s decision to open a restaurant, his feelings when he came to the US as a child, working with David Henry Hwang, living in the smith projects as a kid, childhood friends. 双十节的重要性,出生并赴美(纽约州),父亲决定开餐厅,对幼时赴美的感受,与黄哲伦共事,幼时居于史密斯项目,幼时的朋友

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12:15 - Learning the English language, getting into trouble as a kid, Chinese food, working at his family’s restaurant in Staten Island, how his early experiences influenced his acting. 学习英文,儿时惹麻烦,中式食物,就业于史泰登岛上家中经营的餐厅,早年经历如何影响他的演员事业

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25:14 - Meals while growing up, getting into acting, how acting helped him cope with racism. 成长过程中的一日三餐,进入演艺圈,演戏如何协助他面对种族主义

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36:18 - Being cast as Buffalo Bill in the school play, Interactions with the black panthers, interactions with the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). 在校园剧中饰演水牛比尔,和黑豹的互动,与学生争取民主社会组织(SDS)的互动

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49:57 - Venturing to Chinatown during his teens, movie influences as a teen. 青少年时冒险于唐人街,青少年期受电影影响

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63:30 - Favorite Chinese actors, athletics in high school, being an idealist. 最喜欢的华人演员,高中体育,成为一位理想主义者

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73:44 - Optimism of changing racial perception with film, the importance of theater. 对以电影扭转种族观感感到乐观,剧场的重要性

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89:13 - Lack of Asian American representation in theater in the 70s, being cast in the play FOB and meeting David Henry Hwang, working on the Dance and the Railroad, working on other David Henry Hwang productions. 1970年代剧场中缺乏亚裔美国人的代表,出演《初来乍到》并与黄哲伦相识,排练《铁轨之舞》,排练王哲伦的其他作品

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109:46 - Going to school at Lehman College, growing involvement with the Chinatown community during college, importance of understanding the past. 就读莱曼学院,大学时期逐渐参与唐人街社群事务,了解过去的重要性

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118:04 - Acting career, transitioning from theater to film, film career, stipulations for being cast as an Asian villain, hope for more diversity in film and television. 演艺事业,自剧场转战电影,电影事业,出演亚洲反派的契约,期待在影视界更多元化

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135:03 - Thoughts about others taking stereotypical roles, cultural identity, call to action for the Asian American community, thoughts about the importance of MOCA. 对其他人饰演具刻板印象色彩的角色的想法,文化认同,呼吁为亚裔美国社群而行动,对美国华人博物馆重要性的想法

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148:55 - How “The Farewell” speaks about the Chinese Diaspora. 《别告诉她》如何为华裔离散社群发声

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157:58 - Changes in the film industry, pitfalls of having Asian characters written by non-Asians. 电影产业的转变,由非亚裔书写的亚裔角色所隐藏的危机

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166:32 - Handling stereotypical roles as a fledgling actor, working with Phillip Noyce on The Quiet American, working on The Ladykillers with the Coen Brothers. 作为初出茅庐的演员处理具刻板印象色彩的角色,和菲利普.诺斯合作《沉静的美国人》,和柯恩兄弟合作《老妇杀手》

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184:07 - Philosophy for teaching young actors, the need for Asian Americans to support each other, his parent’s reaction to his interest in acting. 教育年轻演员的理念,亚裔美国人相互扶持的必要性,双亲对他演艺方面兴趣的反应

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197:22 - Parent’s attempts to discourage him from acting, what drove him to continue to pursue acting over his 25-year career, thoughts on the current state of his career in Hollywood. 双亲尝试使他放弃演戏,致使他于二十五年事业生涯中持续追求表演的契机,关于他现在在好莱坞的事业的想法

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208:41 - Acting philosophy, feelings about the gentrification of Chinatowns, standing together as Asian Americans. 表演理念,对唐人街贵族化的感受,和亚裔美国人站在一起

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223:14 - Balancing Chinese culture and American culture, how his parents would feel about his career today. 平衡中华文化与美国文化,双亲现今对他的事业的想法

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231:47 - Thoughts on being seen as a representative of the Asian community, Asian community accountability for Asian representation, Seeing New York City as home, future career aspirations, how to improve Asian representation in Hollywood, advice for the younger generation. 对于自身被视为亚裔社群代表的想法,亚裔社群对亚裔表现的责任,将纽约市视为家,对未来事业的抱负,如何增进好莱坞内亚洲的呈现,给年轻一代的教诲

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