At the age of seventeen, Jade Ma moved to the UK from Hong Kong to study acting. She recently talked to Rival about her creative journey, her role in the Netflix series “Zero Chill,” and her introduction to the Marvel Universe in the new film “Black Widow.”

Ma opened up about the transition and cultural differences she experienced upon moving to the United Kingdom:

“The biggest change was suddenly being 6000 miles away from my family. I was 17 years old and hadn’t been away from them for more than a few weeks before, so that was an adjustment. Being biracial, I grew up exposed to both sides of my heritage, as well as being surrounded by the cultural diversity and international population of Hong Kong, so I didn’t find much of a noticeable difference in day to day life.”

Jade fell into the world of acting; she initially wanted to be a doctor, but her mom talked her out of it when she was around fourteen. At that time in her life, she was highly committed to dance classes or working on dance projects. In 2013, the opportunity to audition for the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation annual musical “A Chorus Line” arose: “Between my dance teacher/mentor, Giselle Liu, and the director, Lindsey McAlister, they convinced me to audition for a part. I ended up being cast as Val, and in the process I fell in love with the acting side of performing. I decided to apply to drama schools in the UK and was fortunate enough to secure a place at the Guildford School of Acting.”

She recalls her first role in “Surviving Christmas” and what that experience was like upon learning she landed the part and entering production for the project:

“ I remember getting the call from my agent clearly. I was just about to go into rehearsals for my last third year show at drama school when my agent called me to let me know I had the job. I was a little in shock, but immediately ran to tell my best friend then call my mum. The job itself was a lot of fun, I was only on set for two weeks but had a wonderful experience.”

Jade plays a lead role in the Netflix series “Zero Chill.” The show focuses on the MacBentley family as they make a transitional move from Canada to England for their son to join a hockey team. Ma shares details with Rival about her character’s involvement in the story:

“Zero Chill is a story about friendships, relationships, family and sport, and teenagers trying to figure out how to balance it all. I play Sky Tyler, a figure skater who is a kindred spirit for Kayla (Grace Beedie) and has a very sweet puppy-love style blossoming relationship with Mac (Dakota Benjamin Taylor). She’s quirky, a little sassy, very strong-willed and cares deeply about those around her. In the show she finds herself stuck between the twins and has to learn how to balance her relationships with each of them without compromising the other.”

Fans will be able to see Jade make her MCU debut in the new Marvel film “Black Widow.” Touching on this project: “It was incredible. I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people on such a big project. I’m eternally grateful for the experience, and I’m excited for the world to see it.”

There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the film industry — Jade emphasizes the importance of BIPOC representation: “There has absolutely been a positive change in recent years, however there are still many harmful stereotypes that are consistently perpetuated and still a clear underrepresentation of BIPOC. The industry has made progress, but there is still a ways to go with creating an environment that is truly representative of the world and all of the multidimensional humans in it.”

So what’s next for Ma? She states that she’s open to whatever comes her way — “I’m just excited to see where my career takes me!”

A list of Jade’s favorites:

Book - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Place visited - Queenstown, New Zealand

Movie - Princess Mononoke

Food - Ramen

Artist - Maggie Rogers

Jade shared what she hopes to achieve through her art, as well as the best piece of advice she could offer to other aspiring artists (something she wishes she had known before she started):

“If even one young person sees me on screen and thinks ‘she looks like me,’ and feels empowered in seeing themselves represented, then I’m happy. To give young people of Asian descent/mixed heritage the representation they deserve is so important, and I hope I can contribute to that. As the famous quote goes, ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ You may not fit into every job or every role that you come across, but there is no other ‘you.’ What you bring is unique - don’t lose sight of that.”

Meet the Author

Bri Rodriguez is a writer and photographer from Tallahassee, Florida. Always passionate about the arts - she’s been an avid reader and writer ever since she was a young girl - finding solace in books, exploring literary worlds, and the ability to express herself and tell stories through the written word. Her education in Commercial Photography Technology opened new doors for her artistry; she is currently in pursuit of her bachelors in English to further her studies in literature and creative writing and hone her craft. She aspires to forge her own path as a content creator and delve deeper into the entertainment industry. Bri contributes her writing to multiple publications and actively seeks out new opportunities, which led to her joining the Rival team.
Connect with Bri on her socials:
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Jade Ma discusses her creative journey and roles in Netflix 'Zero Chill' and Marvels 'Black Widow'

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