Biography
Who is Maggie Q?
Early life and real name
Margaret Denise Quigley was born on May 22, 1979, in Honolulu, United States. Her mother is Vietnamese and her father is an American of Polish and Irish descent. She grew up in Hawaii with four siblings and attended Mililani High School, where she participated in cross country, track and field, and swim teams. She graduated in 1997 after winning the student title of Best Body during her senior year.
After finishing high school, she received an athletics scholarship to a private university with the intention of studying veterinary science. However, her family could not provide financial assistance, so she left Hawaii at the end of her first school year to earn enough money to resume her studies.
How Maggie became famous
At a friend suggestion, Maggie began modeling in Tokyo, Japan at age seventeen before moving to Taipei and eventually Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, she adopted the stage name Maggie Q because locals struggled to pronounce her last name. She started her acting career in Asia and quickly caught the attention of martial arts star Jackie Chan.
Jackie Chan saw her potential as an action star and provided her with intensive training in multiple disciplines, including Chinese Wushu, Qigong, and Wing Chun. Her early breakout film roles included the action movie Gen-Y Cops in 2000 and Naked Weapon in 2002, which established her reputation in the action genre.
Career highlights
Maggie transitioned into Hollywood productions by securing a role as Zhen in Mission: Impossible III alongside Tom Cruise in 2006. The following year, she appeared in Live Free or Die Hard as Mai Linh. She continued taking on prominent film roles, including Tori Wu in the dystopian science fiction action film Divergent in 2014 and its sequels Insurgent and Allegiant.
On television, Maggie starred in the title role of the CW action thriller series Nikita from 2010 to 2013. She later portrayed FBI special agent Hannah Wells in the political thriller series Designated Survivor from 2016 to 2019. In addition to live-action performances, she provided the voice of Wonder Woman on the animated series Young Justice.
Personal life
Maggie stands at a height of 172 centimeters. Throughout her career, she has performed many of her own stunts and trained extensively in martial arts. She is also a passionate animal rights activist and supports PETA campaigns promoting vegetarianism and veganism, earning recognition as PETA Asia-Pacific Person of the Year in 2008.
In her personal life, she was previously engaged to her Stalker co-star Dylan McDermott before they ended their relationship. She later married entrepreneur Curtis Macnguyen. She currently resides and continues her acting career across various television and film projects.
Birthday and age
Maggie Q was born on May 22, 1979, which makes Maggie 47 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Maggie shares the date with 45 other famous people.
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