Kenneth Ma
| Kenneth Ma | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 馬國明 (traditional) |
| Chinese name | 马国明 (simplified) |
| Pinyin | Mǎ Guómíng (Mandarin) |
| Jyutping | Maa5 Gwok3 Ming4 (Cantonese) |
| Born |
13 February 1974 Hong Kong |
| Other name(s) | Ma Ming (馬明) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Ancestry | Chaozhou, Guangdong, China |
Kenneth Ma Kwok-ming (born 13 February 1974) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian actor, with family roots in Chaozhou, Guangdong. He is currently based in Hong Kong. He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Ma is currently under the management of TVB.
Biography
Early life
The youngest of a three child family, he has older twin sisters. He attended Delia International School before immigrating with his family to Vancouver, Canada in 1992. His father who worked as an mechanical engineer would travel back and forth between Hong Kong and Vancouver for work. At first his family lived in Richmond before settling in Port Coquitlam. After attending one semester at Douglas College, he transferred to University of British Columbia majoring in Mechanical engineering. During college Ma joined an acting troupe that would perform sketches. After graduating from college in 1998, Ma and his entire family decided to return to Hong Kong since Hong Kong life was more suited for them.[1]
Career
When Ma returned to Hong Kong he initially worked at a glass manufacture as a quality surveillance inspector but found his job boring.[2] Hoping to find something more of his interest he sent out over 70 resumes but only received a response from TVB for an interview notice to their 14th Artist Training Class. His starting salary at TVB was a meager estimated HK$4000.00 a month, one third of his former job salary, but since he found acting to be more suitable for him he decided to join TVB.
In the beginning his career at TVB was often playing supporting roles as extras, passers-by and fill ins. One of Ma's early roles was playing the giant cockroach Sui Kung in Dayo Wong's music video “Blue Sky”. However within 5 years since graduating from TVB's training course the company started to promote him when he was chosen as one of the S4's for 2004's drama “Triumph in the Skies”[3] and later as one of the six sui sangs to be the "Olympic 6" (the others being Sammul Chan, Ron Ng, Bosco Wong, Raymond Lam and Lai Lok-yi) during the 2004 Athens Olympic games. In 2006, he won the "Most improved actor awards at the 39th TVB Awards. He was handed his first leading role in the drama serial Survivor's Law II opposite Hong Kong singer Ella Koon. The drama aired in 2008 and achieved credible ratings of 31 points in the second half of its broadcast as well as a favorable reception. Ma's role in The Hippocratic Crush, earned him awards both from Malaysia (Most Favorite Leading Actor) and Hong Kong (Most Favorite Male Character).
In 2013 after starring in Triumph in the Skies II, Ma caught the eye of international star Jackie Chan and was invited to star in the romantic comedy "Fate Is a Game".[4]
Personal life
Ma lives with his parents in a 900 square feet flat located in Tai Koo City, Hong Kong. He has said that his future wife must get along with his parents and be able to live together with them.[5]
He is known to commute to work via mass transit even though he owns a car.[6]
During his youth Ma and his mother were Leslie Cheung fan's. Ma's mother even named her western name after Cheung's hit song "Monica". At age 14 Ma was featured in Cheung's 1988 Pepsi commercial.[7]
Ma is an avid soccer fan. His favorite teams are Real Madrid, Manchester United and AC Milan.
His favorite cartoon character is Donald Duck because he thinks Donald has a cute butt and personality that is more real than Mickey Mouse. Ma has been collecting Donald Duck memorabilia since he was young.[8]
Ma nickname within his peers is "Hot property" because of his bachelor status and being a known filial son who is thrifty.
During his early years at TVB Ma has said he had a crush on actress Sharon Chan and had even considered pursuing her but gave up on the idea due to his meager salary and Chan already having a boyfriend at that time.[9]
Out of all of his rumored relationships Ma has only admitted to dating fellow TVB actress Nancy Wu. Ma admitted to the relationship due to tabloids depicting Wu negatively in the press. The two became close while collaborating in "Strictly Come Dancing" and dated for less than a year.[10]
In January 2013, his frequent co-star Selena Li made a pact with Ma that the two will get together if they are still single in 5 years.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Final Shot | TV movie | |
| Double Crossing | TV movie | ||
| 2004 | The Healing Spirit | Angel (extra) | TV movie |
| Life in the Balance | Sit-in student (extra) | TV movie | |
| 親密殺機 | Cop (extra) | TV movie | |
| 2010 | 72 Tenants of Prosperity | Firefighter | Cameo |
| 2014 | Impetuous Love in Action | ||
| 2015 | Truimph in the Skies | Roy Ko (高志宏) |
Television dramas
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | A Witness to a Prosecution | Prince (extra) | Episode 12 |
| At the Threshold of an Era | Stanley | ||
| 2000 | At the Threshold of an Era II | Doctor (extra) | |
| Ups and Downs | extra | ||
| When Dreams Come True | Real estate manager | ||
| War of the Genders | Franco | Episode 7 | |
| Return of the Cuckoo | Chuk Kwan-ho's classmate | ||
| The Legendary Four Aces | Suzhou citizen | ||
| Healing Hands II | extra | ||
| Colourful Life | extra | Episodes 2–4 | |
| 2001 | Gods of Honour | Physician | Makes an appearance in episode 28 |
| Armed Reaction III | EODB crew member (extra) | Episode 9 | |
| The Heaven Sword & the Dragon Sabre 2000 | Servant in a restaurant (extra) | When Gigi Lai first appears | |
| Virtues of Harmony | Yat Yeung Chi / Beggar / Hawker / Ma On-shan | ||
| A Step into the Past | Kam Ching's deceased husband (extra) | Episode 34 | |
| Law Enforcers | extra | ||
| 2002 | Good Against Evil | Sam | Episode 11-15 |
| Invisible Journey | extra | ||
| Love is Beautiful | Prison guard / Scholar / Soldier (extra) | ||
| The White Flame | Doctor (extra) | ||
| Treasure Raiders | Chow Chi-kong | ||
| Police Station No. 7 | Cop (extra) | ||
| Burning Flame II | Billy | ||
| Eternal Happiness | Lai Ming-tong | ||
| Slim Chances | Peter | ||
| Golden Faith | Doctor | ||
| Take My Word for It | SDU team leader | ||
| Love and Again | Manager A | ||
| Whatever It Takes | Servant/Guard (extra) | ||
| 2003 | The King of Yesterday and Tomorrow | Party Guest (extra) | Episode 8 |
| The Threat of Love II | extra | ||
| Better Halves | Tai Hon | ||
| Survivor's Law | Joe Chan | ||
| Not Just a Pretty Face | Ma Siu-tung | ||
| The Driving Power | Ko Wai-lei | ||
| Triumph in the Skies | Roy Ko | ||
| Point of No Return | extra | ||
| 2004 | Net Deception | David | |
| The Vigilante in the Mask | Au-yeung Hing | ||
| Armed Reaction IV | Andy | ||
| Dream of Colours | Lui Siu-lung | ||
| The Last Breakthrough | Doctor Shek | ||
| 2005 | Strike At Heart | Patient | Episode 2 |
| Wong Fei Hung – Master of Kung Fu | Kan Kin | ||
| Lost in the Chamber of Love | Emperor Tak-chung | ||
| Scavengers' Paradise | Tang King-chan | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste (Top 5) | |
| Into Thin Air | Koon Ching-wan | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 5) | |
| Misleading Track | Vincent | ||
| Life Made Simple | Jason | Episode 28 | |
| The Herbalist's Manual | Pong Hin | TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste | |
| 2006 | La Femme Desperado | Ko Chi-lik | TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 20) |
| Love Guaranteed | Tim Kwok Fu-kan | TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 20) | |
| To Grow With Love | Mak Kar-fai | TVB Anniversary Award for Most Improved Male Artiste | |
| 2007 | The Brink of Law | Yan Heung-ming | Episode 1-8 |
| The Family Link | Kam Shing-chun | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 20) | |
| 2007-2008 | Survivor's Law II | Sun Man-kwan (MK Sun) | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 10) Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 5) |
| 2008 | The Master of Tai Chi | Mai Fung-nin | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 10) |
| D.I.E. | Senior Inspector Hugo Shing Ka-chun | ||
| The Money-Maker Recipe | Sun Man-kwan (MK Sun) | Episode 3 | |
| Speech of Silence | Leung Kai-yin (OK Jai) | ||
| Your Class or Mine | Sun Man-kwan (MK Sun) | Episodes 18–19 | |
| The Four | Iron Fist / Tit Yau-ha | ||
| 2009 | Man in Charge | Chow Bing | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 15) Nominated — Asian Television Award for Best Comedy Performance by an Actor/Actress |
| In the Chamber of Bliss | Yue Yam-kwok | ||
| Born Rich | Sha Po-loi | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 5) | |
| 2010 | Don Juan DeMercado | Himself | Episode 6 |
| A Fistful of Stances | Koo Yue-tong | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite Male Character (Top 5) | |
| The Mysteries of Love | Senior Inspector Gordon Lo Tin-hang | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor (Top 15) | |
| Can't Buy Me Love | Ting Yau-wai | ||
| 2011 | Grace Under Fire | Yau Sam-shui | |
| Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir! | Jack | Episode 30 | |
| The Other Truth | Alex Kong Lok-man | Episodes 20–25 | |
| The Life and Times of a Sentinel | Fuk-tsuen, the Second Imperial Prince | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor (Top 15) | |
| 2012 | The Hippocratic Crush | Dr. Cheung Yat-kin | TVB Anniversary Award for My Favourite TV Male Character Performing Artist 2012 Outstanding Television Performance Actor My AOD Favourites Awards for My Favourite Actor in Leading Role My AOD Favourites Awards for Top 15 Most Favourite TV Characters My AOD Favourites Awards for My Favourite On-Screen Couple (with Tavia Yeung) Nominated-TVB Anniversary Award 2012 for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Top 5) |
| Tiger Cubs | To Tin-yue | Episodes 1, 13 | |
| Three Kingdoms RPG | Vincent Szema Shun | ||
| Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles | Charles Chung Kai-san | ||
| 2013 | Season of Love | Joe Chu Cho-On | |
| Triumph in the Skies II | Roy Ko Chi-wang | Nominated-TVB Anniversary Awards 2013 for Best Supporting Actor | |
| The Hippocratic Crush II | Dr. Cheung Yat-kin | Best Leading Actor in TVB 46th Anniversary Gala Popularity Vote Nominated-TVB Anniversary Awards 2013 for Best Actor (Top 5) Nominated-TVB Anniversary Awards 2013 for Most Favourite TV Male Character TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2013 for Top 15 Most Favourite TV Characters TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2013 for Most Favourite On-Screen Couple (with Tavia Yeung) | |
| 2014 | Ghost Dragon of Cold Mountain | Chu Cheng-Sing | |
| A Time of Love | Oscar | Episode 2 | |
| Come On, Cousin | TV King | Episode 2 | |
| 2015 | Noblesse Oblige | To Chan-fung | StarHub TVB Award for My Favourite TVB Male TV Character Nominated-StarHub TVB Award for My Favourite TVB Actor |
| Lord of Shanghai | Young Kiu Ngo Tin | Nominated — TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor | |
| 2016 | A Time of Love II | Oscar | Episode 1 |
| ICAC Investigators 2016 | Roger | ||
| Inspector Gourmet | Bill Kei Yeung Tak-kei | ||
| Rogue Emperor | Chu Gam-chun | ||
| Post-Production | Bet Hur | OK Jai | |
| Mind Hunter | TBA | ||
| Filming | Demon-Conquering Taxi | TBA | |
| Pre-Production | Deep in the Realm of Conscience | TBA | |
References
- ↑ Kenneth Ma Will Only Choose Girlfriend Who Gets Along With His Family. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma Speaks About His Career. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Hot Favourite Dark Horse - Kenneth Ma. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma to Star in Jackie Chan’s New Movie. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma Pays $500,000 HKD for Father’s Surgery. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma takes subway to work. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Leslie Cheung 1988 Pepsi Commercial. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Donald Duck Number One Fan. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma Admits to Dating Three Times. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma and Nancy Wu: “We Are Ex-Lovers!”. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Selena Li Will Consider Kenneth Ma If Still Single in 5 Years. Retrieved 7-19-2014
- ↑ Kenneth Ma at imdb.com
- ↑ Kenneth Ma at chinesemov.com
External links
- Kenneth Ma at TVB
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| TVB Anniversary Awards | ||
| Preceded by Bosco Wong for Wars of In-laws |
Most Improved Actor 2006 for The Herbalist's Manual ; La Femme Desperado ; Love Guaranteed ; To Grow With Love |
Succeeded by Amigo Choi for Sccop ; E-Buzz ; Jade Solid Gold ; Enjoy Yourself Tonight 2007 |
| Preceded by Kevin Cheng for Ghetto Justice |
My Favourite Male Character 2012 for The Hippocratic Crush |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| My AOD Favourite Awards | ||
| Preceded by Kevin Cheng for Ghetto Justice |
Best Actor in a Leading Role 2012 for The Hippocratic Crush |
Succeeded by incumbent |