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Marie Matiko (Ming Li)
  • Caption: Marie Matiko (Ming Li)
  • Description: Marie Matiko, a native of Southern California, made her acting debut in Franchise Pictures’ 2000 Warner Bros. film Art of War (2000), opposite Wesley Snipes as Julia, a UN translator who joined forces with a UN spy, Wesley Snipes, to expose an international conspiracy surrounding the assassination of a Chinese ambassador in New York City.
    Matiko endured a stern cultural upbringing, which ultimately fostered discipline and an inherent passion for the arts, where she could freely express herself. “When I was in grade school, I wanted to become a concert pianist,” Matiko said, who began playing piano at just four years of age. “I had always been taught to stifle my emotions, so if something upset me, I would go into my room and play an angry concerto.”
    A straight “A” student, Matiko attended UCLA where she majored in environmental engineering to the delight of her parents. While still in college, she auditioned for the first national tour of “Miss Saigon,” and suddenly her career path took a sharp detour. Landing the roles of Mimi/Gigi, Matiko set out to travel the country. While on the road, she continued taking academic classes at community colleges, in addition to acting, singing and dancing courses. From the Berkeley College of Music in Boston to the Cleveland Institute of Music, she sought out the best instructions in virtually every city.
    After leaving “Miss Saigon,” Matiko returned to Los Angeles where she embarked on a rigorous regimen of acting lessons. “I feel I’ve been training like an Olympic athlete,” Matiko said.
    Aside from acting, singing and dancing, Matiko lists among her special skills martial arts, rifle shooting and firearms, which she was able to showcase in Art of War. Her most recent project includes an upcoming Western, written and directed by Jean Claude LaMarre entitled Gangs of Roses, in which she plays a quick-handed gunwoman. This innovative film stars five ethnic leads, Stacey Dash, Lil’ Kim, Monica Calhoun and, of course, Maria Matiko. Gang of Roses is set for release in fall of 2003
  • Actor/Actress/Director: Marie Matiko ( photos )
  • Movie: Gang of Roses
  • Id: 4679475
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