After being in the industry for over 10 years and traveling all over the globe, this ethnically mixed beauty with an amazing body has finally made it big in Hollywood. For this photoshoot with Dan Jackson, Vogue has placed her atop a bed of roses to bring out her naturally sexy air. “Sexiness is an attitude. It’s the way you think and the things you do. I think women usually only understand and emit true sexiness after they turn 30.”
On a hot summer’s day in Beijing at 9 am, when we arrived at a beautiful park by a lake, Maggie Q was already patiently and quietly having her hair and makeup done by 2 groups of people in the restaurant next to it. It was obvious that a long haul flight and many nights of appearances had taken its toll on her but this did not dampen her beauty, health or her bubbly personality. A boy once told her on a beach in Hawaii that she was so beautiful and one day, she will definitely stand in the spotlight for everyone to admire her beauty. Presently, this has definitely come to pass, with the whole world paying attention to her after she made it big in Hollywood.
Born in Oahu, Hawaii, the beautiful ethnically mixed Maggie Q bravely went abroad alone when she was only 17 to pursue her dreams. She recalls “I remember when I first arrived in Shanghai, I met so many beautiful Chinese women that by comparison, I felt like an ugly duckling.” Today, this ugly duckling that grew up on the gorgeous island of Hawaii has fully blossomed into a beautiful swan that exudes sexiness effortlessly. She says “Sexiness is an attitude. It’s the way you think and the things you do. I think women usually only understand and emit true sexiness after they turn 30”. When asked which designer she thinks best encompasses her sexy and trendy style, she replies Rick Owens. “His designs are functional and yet sexy and simple and complements my style perfectly”. Her love for functional yet glamourous clothes even extends to her character – Nikita – on the show Nikita that made her a household name and clearly showcases the many different but equally appealing sides to her.
“My name is Nikita. 6 years ago, I was taken out of prison and forced by a covert unit of the government to be an assassin. 3 years ago, I escaped and have been hunted ever since. I was the first recruit to get out. I’m going to make certain I’m not the last”. This is the opening of Nikita, a TV series based on the French movie of the same name. It tells the story of a beautiful assassin and premiered in 2010 on the CW, giving the network its highest rated premiere of that year. With a gun in hand, dressed in black leather from top to toe and riding a motorcycle, Maggie Q as Nikita has left a deep impression in the minds of many viewers.
Due to the success of season 1, Nikita was renewed for a second season. Maggie Q says “This season of Nikita will explore more of Nikita’s backstory and address questions like Who are her parents? What are her goals? Who has she loved before? Everything that was left unanswered by season 1 will be touched on by season 2 to give viewers a clearer picture of the character”.
Maggie understands her character completely and she isn’t afraid of her character being regarded as one dimensional. She says “I think that before we learn to play all sorts of characters, we must first know how to play a certain kind of character. If we try to be everything at once, we will simply lose ourselves and the character. I believe very strongly in this and that’s why I am so proud and honoured to play a complicated character like Nikita and I will continue to do my best to portray her as well as possible. I think that by the end of season 1, people will see that there is so much more to her than just a sexy assassin hungry for revenge”.
As Nikita films in Toronto, Canada, she has had the opportunity to stay there for quite a while. Every day, while filming, people get to see her 3 beloved dogs. The moment her dogs were mentioned, Maggie’s eyes filled with love and she said while laughing, “They are my loyal companions!”
“One will only be able to do great things when he is in his rightful place in this world!”
“The strange thing is, thinking back to these past ten years, I realize I’m not someone who works towards a goal or has a fixed direction. The reason I am where I am today is my passion for acting and because I don’t tolerate failure on my part”.
The beautiful landscape of Toronto really appeals to Maggie’s love of nature. When she gets a break from filming, she usually returns to her home deep in the hills in Los Angeles where she can get in touch with nature and hide from both the scrutiny of the media and the pressures of Hollywood. Once she gets the time, Maggie enjoys reading 3 different novels at once. “I love reading. It helps me to forget everything and go into an unknown world. I also love learning new things and reading up about interesting topics that concern society like animal rights and environmental conservation”. Besides a killer body, Maggie Q also has a killer mind.
Once you have travelled the world, you will have seen so much and self-esteem and confidence come as natural byproducts of that. This explains why Maggie Q is so full of curiosity and passion for nature. As she grew as an actress, Maggie got more and more job offers but her career was not always so smooth sailing. When she first left Hawaii for Tokyo, she faced a lot of rejection as people were not interested in her looks. They were looking for models that were either completely Caucasian or completely Asian and her ethnically mixed beauty just did not fit the bill. Then someone suggested that she should go to Hong Kong where the people were more welcoming and open. The moment she got to Hong Kong, Maggie struck gold. “When I got to Hong Kong, Jackie Chan happened to be looking for fresh faces to produce Kungfu movies for the younger generation. At that time, I knew nothing of the martial arts and yet, Jackie saw my potential”.
Sure enough, Maggie found fame with movies like Naked Weapon, eventually paving the way for her transition to Hollywood beginning with Mission Impossible 3 and Die Hard 4.0. Then, with Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Maggie quickly became one of China’s most adored actresses.
After travelling all over the globe, Maggie became a huge international star thanks to her own perseverance and instinct. She says “The strange thing is, thinking back to these past ten years, I realize I’m not someone who works towards a goal or has a fixed direction. The reason I am where I am today is my passion for acting and because I don’t tolerate failure on my part”. She cites her idol, Maggie Cheung as her inspiration. “No matter where she goes, she carries herself with such grace. I really admire her self-confidence and her carefree attitude”.
After travelling all over Asia and experiencing so much in her life, Maggie still feels a special connection to China. “Due to China’s rapid economic development, it is now often regarded as a place of wealth and extravagance. However, when I was in Inner Mongolia filming, I witnessed how happy the people were even though they had so little and that really reminded me of home. Perhaps it is because in both Hawaii and China, life seems so much simpler and more peaceful. People sometimes tell me that although I am pursuing my career in Hollywood, they always feel like I have such a strong connection to China and I am always so touched to hear it!”
Although Maggie sometimes feels like a fish out of water in Hollywood, she would not give up her job for anything. She says “One will only be able to do great things when he is in his rightful place in this world!” When asked about her plans for the future, she says that for now, she is only concentrating on Nikita. However, when filming for the current season ends and if she comes across a good script, she would gladly do a movie anywhere in the world and not just in Hollywood. In person, Maggie is very nice, warm and funny. Although the heat and her hectic work schedule made her seem rather tired that day, throughout the interview, she never stopped smiling and often burst into fits of laughter. “One must always maintain a sense of humour in life. This is the key to happiness. Once you have found the person or thing that you are passionate about, you can only move forward and progress. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everything will be smooth sailing from then on but once you have found the one thing you love most, life will become better than you can possibly imagine!”
Vogue China Interview transcript
Maggie-q.us
On a hot summer’s day in Beijing at 9 am, when we arrived at a beautiful park by a lake, Maggie Q was already patiently and quietly having her hair and makeup done by 2 groups of people in the restaurant next to it. It was obvious that a long haul flight and many nights of appearances had taken its toll on her but this did not dampen her beauty, health or her bubbly personality. A boy once told her on a beach in Hawaii that she was so beautiful and one day, she will definitely stand in the spotlight for everyone to admire her beauty. Presently, this has definitely come to pass, with the whole world paying attention to her after she made it big in Hollywood.
Born in Oahu, Hawaii, the beautiful ethnically mixed Maggie Q bravely went abroad alone when she was only 17 to pursue her dreams. She recalls “I remember when I first arrived in Shanghai, I met so many beautiful Chinese women that by comparison, I felt like an ugly duckling.” Today, this ugly duckling that grew up on the gorgeous island of Hawaii has fully blossomed into a beautiful swan that exudes sexiness effortlessly. She says “Sexiness is an attitude. It’s the way you think and the things you do. I think women usually only understand and emit true sexiness after they turn 30”. When asked which designer she thinks best encompasses her sexy and trendy style, she replies Rick Owens. “His designs are functional and yet sexy and simple and complements my style perfectly”. Her love for functional yet glamourous clothes even extends to her character – Nikita – on the show Nikita that made her a household name and clearly showcases the many different but equally appealing sides to her.
“My name is Nikita. 6 years ago, I was taken out of prison and forced by a covert unit of the government to be an assassin. 3 years ago, I escaped and have been hunted ever since. I was the first recruit to get out. I’m going to make certain I’m not the last”. This is the opening of Nikita, a TV series based on the French movie of the same name. It tells the story of a beautiful assassin and premiered in 2010 on the CW, giving the network its highest rated premiere of that year. With a gun in hand, dressed in black leather from top to toe and riding a motorcycle, Maggie Q as Nikita has left a deep impression in the minds of many viewers.
Due to the success of season 1, Nikita was renewed for a second season. Maggie Q says “This season of Nikita will explore more of Nikita’s backstory and address questions like Who are her parents? What are her goals? Who has she loved before? Everything that was left unanswered by season 1 will be touched on by season 2 to give viewers a clearer picture of the character”.
Maggie understands her character completely and she isn’t afraid of her character being regarded as one dimensional. She says “I think that before we learn to play all sorts of characters, we must first know how to play a certain kind of character. If we try to be everything at once, we will simply lose ourselves and the character. I believe very strongly in this and that’s why I am so proud and honoured to play a complicated character like Nikita and I will continue to do my best to portray her as well as possible. I think that by the end of season 1, people will see that there is so much more to her than just a sexy assassin hungry for revenge”.
As Nikita films in Toronto, Canada, she has had the opportunity to stay there for quite a while. Every day, while filming, people get to see her 3 beloved dogs. The moment her dogs were mentioned, Maggie’s eyes filled with love and she said while laughing, “They are my loyal companions!”
“One will only be able to do great things when he is in his rightful place in this world!”
“The strange thing is, thinking back to these past ten years, I realize I’m not someone who works towards a goal or has a fixed direction. The reason I am where I am today is my passion for acting and because I don’t tolerate failure on my part”.
The beautiful landscape of Toronto really appeals to Maggie’s love of nature. When she gets a break from filming, she usually returns to her home deep in the hills in Los Angeles where she can get in touch with nature and hide from both the scrutiny of the media and the pressures of Hollywood. Once she gets the time, Maggie enjoys reading 3 different novels at once. “I love reading. It helps me to forget everything and go into an unknown world. I also love learning new things and reading up about interesting topics that concern society like animal rights and environmental conservation”. Besides a killer body, Maggie Q also has a killer mind.
Once you have travelled the world, you will have seen so much and self-esteem and confidence come as natural byproducts of that. This explains why Maggie Q is so full of curiosity and passion for nature. As she grew as an actress, Maggie got more and more job offers but her career was not always so smooth sailing. When she first left Hawaii for Tokyo, she faced a lot of rejection as people were not interested in her looks. They were looking for models that were either completely Caucasian or completely Asian and her ethnically mixed beauty just did not fit the bill. Then someone suggested that she should go to Hong Kong where the people were more welcoming and open. The moment she got to Hong Kong, Maggie struck gold. “When I got to Hong Kong, Jackie Chan happened to be looking for fresh faces to produce Kungfu movies for the younger generation. At that time, I knew nothing of the martial arts and yet, Jackie saw my potential”.
Sure enough, Maggie found fame with movies like Naked Weapon, eventually paving the way for her transition to Hollywood beginning with Mission Impossible 3 and Die Hard 4.0. Then, with Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Maggie quickly became one of China’s most adored actresses.
After travelling all over the globe, Maggie became a huge international star thanks to her own perseverance and instinct. She says “The strange thing is, thinking back to these past ten years, I realize I’m not someone who works towards a goal or has a fixed direction. The reason I am where I am today is my passion for acting and because I don’t tolerate failure on my part”. She cites her idol, Maggie Cheung as her inspiration. “No matter where she goes, she carries herself with such grace. I really admire her self-confidence and her carefree attitude”.
After travelling all over Asia and experiencing so much in her life, Maggie still feels a special connection to China. “Due to China’s rapid economic development, it is now often regarded as a place of wealth and extravagance. However, when I was in Inner Mongolia filming, I witnessed how happy the people were even though they had so little and that really reminded me of home. Perhaps it is because in both Hawaii and China, life seems so much simpler and more peaceful. People sometimes tell me that although I am pursuing my career in Hollywood, they always feel like I have such a strong connection to China and I am always so touched to hear it!”
Although Maggie sometimes feels like a fish out of water in Hollywood, she would not give up her job for anything. She says “One will only be able to do great things when he is in his rightful place in this world!” When asked about her plans for the future, she says that for now, she is only concentrating on Nikita. However, when filming for the current season ends and if she comes across a good script, she would gladly do a movie anywhere in the world and not just in Hollywood. In person, Maggie is very nice, warm and funny. Although the heat and her hectic work schedule made her seem rather tired that day, throughout the interview, she never stopped smiling and often burst into fits of laughter. “One must always maintain a sense of humour in life. This is the key to happiness. Once you have found the person or thing that you are passionate about, you can only move forward and progress. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everything will be smooth sailing from then on but once you have found the one thing you love most, life will become better than you can possibly imagine!”
Vogue China Interview transcript
Maggie-q.us
