Tzi Ma Talks ‘Interior Chinatown’ Season 1 [Interview]

Following Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang), Hulu’s Interior Chinatown is set in Chinatown and explores an unraveling mystery full of humor and heart. 

I recently spoke with Tzi Ma, who plays Joe Wu on the much-anticipated adaptation of Charles Yu’s novel, about his character’s story, his experience working on the show, and reactions from the Asian American community.

On His Experience Working on the Series

Interior Chinatown features a large cast of Asian American actors. Ma shared a little about his experience getting to work with the cast. “It was really rewarding to work with the old and the new together,” Ma said. 

“To have the opportunity to work with young comedic talent such as Jimmy [O’Yang] and Ronny [Chieng] is just really exciting,” he shared. “And also getting to work with old friends, friends who have left the business and were able to come back and do the show with us.” 

On Reactions from the Asian American Community

As one of the few shows on TV featuring Asian Americans both on-screen and behind the camera, Interior Chinatown has quickly become a popular series among Asian Americans. 

Ma himself has noticed the supportive reception. “In New York City, they actually had a screening party at one of the local bars, and many of my friends came,” he said. “They were excited and really thought that, at this time, it was important to have an opportunity to see a show like ours.” 

One reason Interior Chinatown has been so important for this community is because of the way it addresses the difficulties Asian Americans often face in Hollywood. 

“The opportunities are still a bit further behind,” Ma stated. “We still need to work a lot harder to bring more projects, to have more pipelines for the talent to come up and have a place and show what they can do.” 

How Working on Interior Chinatown Led Him to Reflect on His Career

While talking about the show, Ma shared how working on Interior Chinatown led him to reflect on his career.

“I enjoyed the humor [of the show] because, a lot of times, I’m in more dramatic roles. I actually started out in comedy, so it’s nice to circle back, to have people recognize that aspect of my acting that I could bring to the floor as opposed to just doing a lot of serious drama,” he said. 

Interior Chinatown also provides commentary about how Asian Americans often get reduced to background acting roles. 

“I give background actors a lot of props because it’s a difficult job. You don’t get treated the same way, and it really shouldn’t be that way because you’re equally as important,” Ma said.

“[Some background actors] were able to gain opportunities because of the gained experience on set, and I think that’s something to be recognized. And it’s something I missed myself because I didn’t do it. I feel it was an opportunity that I would’ve gained from.” 

On the Show’s Character Dynamics

Tzi Ma has plenty of moments when he shines as Joe Wu, and some of those are when he has heartfelt scenes with characters like Lily Wu, Willis’ mom and Joe’s wife. 

“He literally takes the step of recognizing some of the things he’s taken for granted, including what [Lily’s] going through,” he said. “He was able to summon the kindness and inner strength within himself to apologize, to say that I’m so sorry I’ve taken the spotlight off of you.” 

“The fact that someone can actually have a conversation and communicate his inner thoughts with his wife is not often seen on the screen in our culture,” Ma added.

Another character dynamic Ma enjoyed was his interaction with Detective Lana (Chloe Bennett). 

“They have this wonderful scene where he describes the mural they’re looking at and the meaning behind it. That scene is actually the seed that is planted to what we [eventually] discover,” he said. “I think it’s a pivotal scene in the show that maybe people wouldn’t notice at first sight.” 

On the Importance of Chinatown

Interior Chinatown aptly places Chinatown at the heart of its story. Ma discussed how the show’s mission to center Chinatown is needed more than ever now. 

“I lived in Chinatown in New York, so that’s something that’s close to my heart,” Ma said. 

“We know that most of the Chinatowns in North America are having some difficulties. Hopefully, people will start to look at our community a little differently,” he added. “The people who come to visit Chinatowns around North America can come to realize that it’s not just a place for us to enjoy great food. It’s a place where people live.” 

Chinatowns across the United States have always been an essential part of Asian American history and the history of immigration in the country in general. Ma addressed this as well. “[Chinatown] is not exclusively for Chinese Americans or Chinese people in particular. I think it’s for the universality of all our experiences because America is an immigrant society,” he said.

“The deeper understanding we have for each other, [the more] it creates a better society for all of us to live in.”

—

Interior Chinatown is now streaming on Hulu.

Follow us on X and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!