Chinese actress Miya Muqi, Jackie Chan’s co-star in Vanguard, on Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Yeoh and promoting ‘kung fu yoga’
- Like Yeoh, martial arts actress Muqi does all her own stunts, though admits to feeling fear – especially during wire-flying acts with mid-air somersaults
- Scarlett Johansson is her role model, while working twice with Jackie Chan taught her that you have to go ‘all out’ as an action star to win the audience over
Chinese martial arts actress Miya Muqi has been compared to action star Michelle Yeoh Choo-kheng for refusing to use a body double when performing stunts.
In fact, the professional yoga instructor even has a habit of picking up new sports when preparing for a new movie. For her recent film Vanguard, in which she co-starred alongside Jackie Chan, Muqi spent three years learning jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, free diving, parachuting, motor-biking and racing.
“I need to start from scratch as my forte is in yoga, which is soft in nature,” the 33-year-old tells the Post. “Martial skills need strength, balance and explosive force. My foundation in yoga helps me grasp the skills quickly.”
The new sports training did not stop after she finished shooting for the film. In October, she got her Professional Association of Diving Instructors advanced freediver certificate, and she remains a student of accomplished American racer Steve Saleen.
“Doing these sports give me a unique sense of excitement,” Muqi explains. “When my adrenaline shoots up, I feel a big sense of achievement having conquered another sport.