Actress Maria Zhang on Finding Comfort in the Middle Place

Mixed Asian Media - August 1, 2022

By Erica Ito

What a treat it was to sit down with Maria Zhang, the lovely, young talent who recently wrapped season one as Suki on Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. As a fellow mixed actor, I couldn’t wait to discuss international mixed identity, navigating casting calls, and taking on the role of everyone’s favorite fan-wielding, badass hero.

You were born in Poland, grew up in Beijing, and went to college in Southern California. How has this very global upbringing shaped your identity as a mixed Asian person? 

So I’m half Polish, half Chinese. My mom is Polish, my dad is Chinese, and I grew up in a house where my parents spoke Russian to each other (I spoke Polish to my mom and Chinese to my dad), so it was a whole jumble of languages and cultures. To me that just felt like the norm, but whenever I’d tell other people that, they’d be like, ”Oh my God, this is crazy.” 

I think all of us sometimes feel like a bit of an outcast, wherever we are. I mostly grew up in Beijing, where I was basically seen as a foreigner, even though I felt just as much Chinese as anyone. There’s this idea of “I'm not Chinese enough,” or “Polish enough” when I would go to Poland. There people were like, “You're Asian fully, right?” No. I speak fluent Polish and fluent Chinese. I went to Chinese primary school. My Chinese grandma raised me. 

When I moved to L. A., that's when I was like, “There's more of us! Yes!” It's been a journey of finding that comfort in the middle place and accepting that that's the best of me.

“Finding the comfort in the middle place” is totally what being mixed is all about. So you first started acting when you were a kid doing community theater in Poland. Do you remember when you had your first “Holy cow, I wanna be doing this for the rest of my life, I wanna be an actor” moment?

My grandma actually saw this newspaper clipping asking for young actors to come do this community theatre show. They were doing Alice in Wonderland, and I was like, “I have to do this!” I ended up going back to Poland every summer, just to be a part of this theatre group. It was like magic, ‘cause it was in the middle-of-nowhere countryside of Poland. We would run on the grass, pouring our hearts and souls into weeks of rehearsals to create this imaginary world. It was everything that I loved about being a kid — getting to play pretend every day. We would put up the shows on an abandoned train track and everyone would bring their own pillows to sit and watch the show. I would be hiding behind bushes, ready to go on, and I’d see the lights. Feel my heart pounding. I’d be terrified, but loving it. Never wanting it to end. I just knew in my heart that that's when I was the happiest. That's what I love the most. And here I am doing it. 

What a magical introduction to performing! As a kid growing up internationally, how did you see yourself represented (or not represented) in media? Did it affect your decision to pursue acting?

When I first told my parents I wanted to act, they were supportive. But they were like, “Maybe theatre is a better route because your mix is so unique.” On screen they usually want either someone full Asian or full white. And I didn't really see anyone mixed on screen, other than [Chloe Bennet in] Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There was a bit of fear in that. But at the same time I was like, why hasn't there been enough representation? Especially after I came to L.A! There are so many mixtures of cultures here. 

Honestly, my exposure to the U.S. was through films and TV shows. That's how I learned English. I just felt this disconnect, like, is it because it's uncomfortable or too much effort for them to try to include every side of the cultures that I've experienced? Even when the future is supposed to be fully mixed?

So true! We're the fastest growing population in the United States.

That's right. So I was like, you know, someone's gotta start this representation. I was sure there were other mixed girls out there wishing they saw more. Honestly, if I can make someone else think, “I see her, she looks like me, I can do this too,” I might as well be the one to go at it. 

Absolutely. So you moved to SoCal, graduated with your B.A. from USC, worked on many stage and on-camera projects, and you recently completed All I Ever Wanted, a queer short film set in the 1990s. The film was directed by Erin Lau, written by Van B. Nguyen, and features an all Asian cast — not to mention it was an official selection at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival. Cheehoo! Congratulations. When you began working on the short film, did you have a sense of how special this project was?

Oh yeah, when I read the breakdown of all Asian names, I was like, “This is awesome.” And when I read the script I knew this was something special. I had to do it. I love the story, how it shows another side of a Vietnamese American girl growing up, seeing classic romcoms with all white actors and heterosexual relationships, and hoping to find that for herself — then to realize that her own version of a real life romcom can be just as beautiful. It's a story that celebrates queer young love and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Speaking of breakdowns and representation, we know as mixed actors what we're capable of, but it can still be hard seeing a breakdown that specifies “Asian” or “Caucasian” or even “mixed ethnicity” and feeling like you’re not enough of whatever they're asking for. How do you, as a professional, slaying, working actor approach those breakdowns with your full authentic self, regardless of what they say?

I think for any actor, this whole process of auditioning comes with a lot of self doubt and judgment that you're dealing with every second. And a lot of it comes from yourself. I would see these breakdowns for “all ethnicities,” and immediately my mind would go, “They're gonna cast a white girl.” That’s usually what happens, but I think that's not something that we can control about the industry. What I've learned to do is to trust that who I am is enough and that, literally, no one else is me, as cliché as that sounds. My unique blend of experiences can either serve that story or it's not the right fit, you know? It's a long process of really owning your truth.

I actually wrote a solo play in college and was so baffled because it ended up having four different languages. I felt like it was too unique. No one was gonna understand it. But one professor said to me, “Even if one person in the audience relates to it, not in the literal sense of relating to this exact mix of experiences, but if they understand that feeling of alienation and not belonging, of being stuck in the middle, then that's enough.” You'd be surprised by how many people can relate when you own up to the unique version of yourself.

That’s some truly beautiful advice. If your work resonates with just one person, then you’ve done your job. I believe it! 

You said you wrote this play, and you describe yourself as a multi–hyphenate artist. You also minored in visual culture at USC. What kind of work do you look forward to creating in addition to acting? 

My parents are both artists. I grew up thinking that I was gonna become an illustrator or something else related to the visual arts. I would love to keep inspiring young girls to be more than the world tells them to be. That’s what Suki does. Because of my background in visual arts, and my desire to communicate ideas and tell stories through different mediums, I'm always drawn to stories that challenge the norm of what storytelling is supposed to be — whether it's the visual way that story is represented, or a unique blend of genres, or anything that's a little out of the box 

Heck yeah. Thank you for mentioning Suki and making this segue for me! So the people know you landed the iconic role of Suki the Kyoshi Warrior on Netflix’s Avatar the Last Airbender. This has 100% solidified your status as an icon not only in the Asian American community, but also pop culture at large.

I really have to say that, growing up, ATLA was the representation that I saw. Even though the original series was animated, the world of the show is inspired by a huge mixture of Asian and Indigenous cultures. Even though most of the original cast were voiced by white voice actors, I still saw myself in characters like Suki and Azula. When we get those crumbs, we latch on. So when the adaptation was casting, I was really hoping there would be some mixed actors involved. And I'm so proud to be speaking to you right now, to know that this character, who was so iconic in my childhood, is going to continue being that representation for a new generation. Young kids, mixed and otherwise, are going to see you on screen, being your badass authentic self, and be inspired to think, “I can be an actor. I can be a fan-wielding warrior. I can be anything I want.” Has your “Oh my god, this is happening” moment hit you yet? 

Honestly, I feel like I'm still absorbing it all every day. Even as you're talking, I'm like, “Is she talking about me?” I sometimes find myself looking back on pictures from set just to be like, “Yeah, it did happen.” 

I was so endlessly grateful to be able to tell a story that’s so beloved by the world, but also to have the resources and the right people behind the screen, such talented and amazing people who truly love the story so much, to do it justice. They want to serve this story for the fans, and also make new fans. We really put a lot of heart into it, and I think it will show.

What are you most looking forward to audiences learning from Suki?

I think good art always inspires us to take a deeper look at ourselves and examine our own values. I've learned a lot from Suki. She is a warrior and a badass, but she is just as much a vulnerable human being, you know? She has huge responsibilities of upholding her honor and protecting her village. At the same time, she's also a teenager, dealing with her own feelings, wanting to explore the world and talk to boys! I think that a lot of us young girls can relate, and I hope that they love her as much as I loved being her.

You are her. Present tense, future tense, and forever. Thank you so much for chatting with us today, Maria.

Born and raised on the east side of O’ahu, Erica learned about improv comedy in 7th grade, and has been a public menace ever since. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan and can be found yelling about coming of age love stories, pop culture, and mythology with her genius co-host/best friend on their podcast Seaweed Brain. Check it out @SeaweedBrainPodcast. www.ericaito.com