Maggie Q

Early life

Q was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii .Her father works for the government,and is American of Irish and Polish descent.Her mother works on a golf course,and is a Vietnamese immigrant. Her parents met while her father was stationed in Vietnam during the war.Q grew up with four siblings.

Q attended Mililani Waena Elementary School and Wheeler Intermediate School. She also attended Mililani High School, where she was on the cross country, track and field, and swim team. She won the title of "Best Bod," senior year, and graduated from Mililani High School in 1997.

Career

At the suggestion of a friend, Q started modeling in Tokyo, Japan at the age of 17, before making an unsuccessful move to Taipei, Taiwan , and finally trying Hong Kong .It was in Hong Kong, that she was selected by Jackie Chan , because he saw a potential action star. His intensive training taught her the importance of professionalism and always doing her own stunts. Q later said, "I had never done a day of martial arts in my life when I started in the business. I couldn’t even touch my toes."

In 1998,she started her acting career in the TV dramaHouse of the Dragon, which was a huge hit in Asia. In 2000, Q made her film debut as Anna in the horror filmModel from Hell, and went on to star as an FBI agent Jane Quigley in the action thrillerGen-Y Copsthe same year. Her appearance inGen-Y Copsimpressed Jackie Chan so much that she was cast inManhattan MidnightandRush Hour 2.

In 2002, she starred as martial artist assassin Charlene Ching in the action filmNaked Weapon. In 2005, Q played Harmony in the German-Singaporean TV mini-seriesHouse of Harmony, opposite Fann Wong . That same year, she also co-produced the animal treatment documentaryEarthlingsnarrated by Joaquin Phoenix .

In 2006, she starred alongside Tom Cruise inMission: Impossible III. She played Zhen, the only female member of the IMF team. In 2007, she appeared as Mai Linh in the Bruce Willis movieLive Free or Die Hard,the fourth film in theDie Hardseries, and as Maggie inBalls of Fury.

In 2008, Q played fictional Cao Ying, a granddaughter of the warlord Cao Cao inThree Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, her first ancient Chinese costume performance. That same year, she also appeared in the drama/thriller movieDeceptionstarring Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman , as Tina, an investment bankerwho introduced Jackman's character to an exclusive anonymous sex club list.

Q also stars in the video game in the Need for Speed franchiseNeed for Speed: Undercover, as the seductive lead character, federal agent Chase Linh, who is the player's only contact to the Tri-City Police.

In 2010, it was announced that she would be the lead character, an assassin gone rogue, on the new CW series,Nikita, a revamp of the movie/TV title.

Personal life

Q has been a vegetarian for many years, and was featured in two almost nude ads for PETA Asia-Pacific .She was also responsible for the removal of all real fur from the wardrobe on the set ofThree Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.In 2008, Maggie Q was name PETA Asia-Pacific's "Person of the Year."That same year, the organization also listed Q as one of the "Best-Dressed Celebrities" of 2008.

Q has three tattoos, one being a phoenix on her hip, which she has had to conceal for most of her roles exceptNikita.She lives in Los Angeles, CA , with her seven rescued dogs.

1. "‘Nikita’: Don’t Make Maggie Q Have to Hurt You" . The Wall Street Journal. . Retrieved October 23, 2010.
"The 5-minute Interview: Maggie Q, Actress" . The Independent. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "Mission Very Possible" . Midweek. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "Talking Mission: Impossible III with Maggie Q" . MovieWeb. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. Yuan, Jada (August 22, 2010)."Hong Kong’s Hit Girl" .New York Magazine. . Retrieved August 24, 2010. "Kick ass girl" . The Times. . Retrieved October 24, 2010. "The Maggie Q story: Gone to Asia with an eye toward Hollywood" . New York Times. . Retrieved October 24, 2010. "Maggie Q in 'Deception'" . Los Angeles Times. . Retrieved October 24, 2010. "Single Most Powerful Information With Professional Cast and Crew in EARTHLINGS" . Nation Earth. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE SENSATION MAGGIE Q TO STAR IN NEED FOR SPEED UNDERCOVER" . teamxbox. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "Nearly Nude Maggie Q Says, 'Spice Up Your Life—Go Vegetarian'" . PETA Asia-Pacific. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "PETA Announces the Best-Dressed Celebrities" . PETA Asia-Pacific. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "MAGGIE Q NAMED PETA'S PERSON OF THE YEAR" . PETA Asia-Pacific. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "'Nikita': Maggie Q reveals her tattoo's origin story" . Zap2it. . Retrieved October 23, 2010. "Interview with Maggie Q" . CNN. . Retrieved October 23, 2010.