Maggie Q Biography

Margaret Denise Quigley (born May 22, 1979), professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American actress and former fashion model. As of 2010, she stars in the title role on The CW's action-thriller series Nikita.

Early life

Quigley was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father is of Irish and Polish descent and her mother 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 then attended Mililani High School, where she was on the cross country, track and field, and swim teams. She won the title of "Best Body" senior year, and graduated from Mililani High School in 1997.

Career

At the suggestion of a friend, Q began modeling in Tokyo at the age of 17, before making an unsuccessful move to Taipei, and finally trying in Hong Kong. She has said it was not easy for her: "I had twenty bucks in my pocket. I mean, I literally did the same thing that my mother did when she left Vietnam... didn't speak the language... had no money." But, 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 drama House of the Dragon, which was a huge hit in Asia. In 2000, Q made her film debut as Anna in the horror film Model from Hell, and went on to star as an FBI agent Jane Quigley in the action thriller Gen-Y Cops the same year. Her appearance in Gen-Y Cops impressed Jackie Chan so much that she was cast in Manhattan Midnight and Rush Hour 2.

In 2002, she starred as martial artist assassin Charlene Ching in the action film Naked Weapon. In 2005, Q played Harmony in the German-Singaporean TV mini-series House of Harmony, opposite Fann Wong. The same year she also co-produced the animal treatment documentary Earthlings narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

In 2006, she starred alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III. She played Zhen, the only female member of the IMF team. In 2007, she appeared as Mai Linh in the Bruce Willis movie Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth film in the Die Hard series, and as Maggie in Balls of Fury.

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

Q also stars in the video game Need 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, she became the lead character, an assassin gone rogue, on the new CW series, Nikita, a revamp of the movie/TV title. Q since the premiere of Nikita has been incorrectly stated as the first Asian American series lead in an American television drama, this is not true as it was actually the actress Anna May Wong who was the first Asian American series lead of an American television series with her show The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong which aired back in 1951.

Personal life

Maggie Q is outspoken on the subject of animal rights and has taken part in PETA Asia's campaigns promoting vegetarianism. In a PETA ad, she posed nearly nude in a bed of crimson chili peppers to spread the word that going vegetarian is the best way to "spice up your life" as well as help animals, your health, and the environment. A second ad for PETA Asia features her wearing a bikini made entirely of strategically placed lettuce leaves next to the tagline "Turn Over a New Leaf " Try Vegetarian!"

A vegetarian for many years, she once said that giving up meat is one of the most rewarding decisions she has ever made. "I feel better, I have more energy on and off the set, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm doing something to help stop animal suffering." In 2008, Maggie Q was named PETA Asia-Pacific's "Person of the Year." The same year, the organization also listed Q as one of the "Best-Dressed Celebrities" of 2008. She has since taken the step to cut all animal products from her diet by becoming a vegan.

She was also responsible for the removal of all real fur from the wardrobe on the set of Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.

Q previously dated Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu who also was a costar of Naked Weapon. She has three tattoos: one on each arm and one of a phoenix on her left hip, which she has had to conceal for most of her roles except Nikita. Q also suffered temporary hearing loss in her right ear, when her eardrum was blown out in an explosive stunt.

She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her three (at one point, eight) rescued dogs.

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Model from Hell (???)	Anna
	Gen-Y Cops ("??-??2)	Jane Quigley
2001	Manhattan Midnight	Susan & Hope (twins)
	Rush Hour 2	Girl in Car
2002	Naked Weapon (??"??)	Charlene Ching
2003	The Trouble-Makers (?"???)	Clary
2004	Rice Rhapsody (?"???)	Gigi
	Around the World in 80 Days	Female Agent
	Magic Kitchen ("????)	May
2005	Dragon Squad ("??)	Yuet
	Taped	Maggie
	Earthlings	Co-Producer	Film Documentary
2006	Mission: Impossible III	Zhen Lei	Asian Excellence Award for Supporting Film Actress
	The Counting House	Jade
2007	Live Free or Die Hard	Mai Linh	("Die Hard 4.0" outside North America)
	Balls of Fury	Maggie Wong
	The Counting House	Jade
2008	Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon ("?"?"????"?)	Cao Ying
	Deception	Tina
	Need for Speed: Undercover	Chase Linh	Video Game
2009	The Warrior and the Wolf ("???)	Harran Woman
	New York, I Love You	Janice Taylor	On segment "Yvan Attal"
	Operation: Endgame	High Priestess
2010	The King of Fighters ("?"?)	Mai Shiranui
2011	Priest (?"?"?)	Priestess
2014	Divergent	Tori Wu	Post-production
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	House of Dragon	Devine
2005	House of Harmony	Harmony	Television Film
2010"present	Nikita	Nikita	Nominated " Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress: Action
2012	Young Justice	Wonder Woman	Voice role

See also