Thanks to the wonderful Mengxin we now have the translated version of Maggie’s interview with Self China that can be read below.
Maggie Q is now on fire in Hollywood. You can find mega sized posters of her as Nikita everywhere. From Hawaii to Hong Kong and then to LA, she has successfully completed the 3 tiered leap from poor student to model to superstar. Last year, when she was interviewed by Self China, she said “Independence is in a woman’s nature”. This year, she once again declares that if one were to follow their instincts, their future would be so much greater than they could ever imagine.
“I love the feeling of being myself! Wearing high heels but still being able to execute complicated fighting moves makes me feel very special and powerful!”
Besides making many new friends, her acting career has also broadened her horizons. Maggie Q is very grateful for that period of time in her life. “I knew I would leave Hawaii someday. The 8 years spent in Hong Kong has allowed me to see exactly how big the world is and provided me with many opportunities to set greater goals for myself. That was a very precious experience for me.”Speaking of celebrity friends, there is still one very special person in her life – Jackie Chan. To this day, she still does not know what he saw in her that convinced him that she could be a female action star. “I had never had a day of martial arts training in my life. I couldn’t even touch my toes!” Maybe this can only be explained by “luck”. Thankfully, Maggie Q grasped onto this golden opportunity. Under the tutelage of the best teachers and through a lot of hard work, she managed to shine and with Rush Hour 2, made a name for herself.
From Hong Kong to Hollywood, she got rid of all excuses and gave it her all. Even though she has only been living there for 6 years, Maggie Q considers LA her favourite city and her home. “People often have misconceptions regarding LA, believing that there is only Hollywood here. In fact, the city is far richer than what they see on their television screens. My best friends are all here and so are my dogs! I can retreat to my house in the hills at any time, away from it all and enjoy nature’s beauty. This life is great”. As for the supposed huge mansions? I’m sorry but I don’t have one!” Like many other ethnic young actresses, the beginning of her career in Hollywood was not smooth sailing. “Honestly speaking, 90% of the scripts I get are written for Caucasian actresses. To the westerners, I am an Asian but in the eyes of the Asians, I am a western girl. This puts me in a very awkward position. Therefore, I have to do my best when acting so that audiences can see a three dimensional character on screen and not bother about the colour of my skin. Her first major role in Hollywood was in Mission Impossible 3, alongside Tom Cruise. Thinking back to the audition process for that, Maggie Q is convinced it never happened. However, everyone else knows that she auditioned for it the day after she landed in LA from Hong Kong. “That feeling of exhaustion can really kill, haha.” To make matters worse, she had a high fever that day and was shivering non stop but still, she insisted on finishing 3 screen tests.
