Maggie Q will show off her martial arts skills this fall when she stars in the CW's action-packed new series "Nikita," but as an Asian actress, the role poses an interesting dilemma for her.
Q was born in Hawaii to a Polish-Irish American father and a Vietnamese mother. At the CW presentation Thursday at the annual TCA summer press tour (photo by Getty Images), Q said stereotypes often lead people to associate Asian actors with martial arts.
"I'm not a Wushu champ," she joked.
She might not be a full-on kung fu master, but Q does have extensive martial arts experience. She spent several years in Asia where she worked with legendary action star Jackie Chan. "His team of guys trained me when I was very young in different disciplines," Q said.
Q's role as a trained assassin on "Nikita" involves extensive fight scenes and martial arts sequences. "Nikita" won't help Q defy perceptions about Asian actors, but she said she hopes the show helps her strengthen her foothold in Hollywood so that she can challenge stereotypes later in her career.
"When we want to break stereotypes, there'll be time for that, but to break stereotypes you need power," Q said.
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