Hi. I'm Maggie, I'm an actress. My previous projects include the Divergent movie and my latest show STALKER airs on CBS premiering October 1st at 10/9 central.

You can check out some clips from STALKER here.

Here with Victoria to answer your questions - AMA!

https://twitter.com/StalkerCBS/status/515623194783666176

EDIT So unfortunately I have to go - another episode of STALKER needs to be made, hahah! But i do hope to see you watching on the October 1st premiere.

Comments: 298 • Responses: 49  • Date: 

JaiOhBe597 karma

SO DOES THIS MAKE YOU MAGGIE Q&A? HAHAHAHAHA.

MaggieQ183 karma

I guess it does!

Ziure916141 karma

Thanks to you the Nikita show was highly entertaining and developed a loyal fan base, including yours truly. Is it conceivable that Nikita could resurrect on the big screen at some point? I could see it as a franchise type production much like MI or Bourne, except with a female lead. or is this wishful thinking on my part.

MaggieQ101 karma

I think it's wishful thinking on BOTH of our parts! Maybe not necessarily - Nikita is certainly a character that deserves that, which is why it started as a film, but I'm in support of any kind of lead role like that on the big screen, because she's a really great character.

SuperDense112 karma

Hello. I was wondering how you came to decide to use a single letter in your screen name?

MaggieQ286 karma

Oh, I didn't - I was living at the time in Asia, I had a stop-off before I moved back to the States, and I lived there for a little while, and while I was there, I got into acting, and while I got into acting there, no one could pronounce my last name, it was very Irish, so the Asian press actually shortened my name so they could say it and it stuck - so I had no part in actually creating my name! My full name is Quigley.

theoryG3574 karma

Hi Maggie, welcome to Reddit! As a big fan of the Mission Impossible series, I'm wondering two things - 1) Is it true your heel got stuck on the accelerator of a car on set (maybe the orange Lambo?), causing it to crash into another car? Source: IMDB and 2) What was it like working with Tom Cruise? Any good stories you can share?

Thoroughly enjoyed your work in Live Free or Die Hard as well. You're very beautiful and talented. Thank you!

MaggieQ106 karma

1) Yes! Haha!

2) You know, Tom Cruise is the best boss anybody could hope for. He's the hardest worker, he's generous and really fun-loving and kind. That whole experience for me - that was my first big Hollywood film, and so I kind of went in right on top and had the best experience just being around him, seeing his work ethic, seeing his passion, and put his crew and his team first was really valuable for me at that time.

Awwwww -- thanks so much!

Oryx61 karma

Do you ever wish that you had a last name?

MaggieQ81 karma

HAHAHHA! I do have one!

mastrepolo48 karma

Thank you Maggie for doing this Ama. I have to admit that balls of fury is a guilty pleasure of mine(seriously underrated, always makes me chuckle), do you have any funny stories that happened on set? Is Christopher walken as funny in real life as he seems in movies?

MaggieQ184 karma

No, Christopher Walken is not going to be cracking jokes with you. The reason why Christopher is funny - my assessment of him, I can't say this is set in stone, but my assessment of him is that he is sort of bored with people. Because everyone worships him. Because he's Christopher Walken! So Chris would do things to amuse himself, on-set, and one thing that he does that he loves is he likes to lie and say it's his birthday. Because he wants everyone to buy him a cake, and sing to him, and it's never his birthday when he does this. So i heard from other friends, I think Laurence Fishburne told me this, and Dan had heard from someone else that he did this, so one day I come into work and there's a birthday cake it's half eaten, I grab a piece and I say "who's birthday is it?" and they say "IT's CHRIS!" and I knew it wasn't. And so I went up to him onset and I said "It's not your birthday" and he chuckled like a child.

It's the best, right?

I mean, he has to do things to amuse himself. Because I don't think people challenge him anymore.

observerkid43 karma

Hi Maggie! I’m a MASSIVE fan of yours. Thank you for doing this AMA!

1) You’ve worked in multiple places in North America and East Asia. How do they compare to each other and are there any idiosyncrasies you could point out?

2) What determines your interest in a role?

3) Is there anything you know now that you wish you had known when starting out as an actress?

4) What are some animal rights organizations/movements people should be aware of?

Thank you for doing this AMA. Really looking forward to your future projects!

MaggieQ79 karma

1) Hahaha! Um... you know, none of them compare to one another in that all those experiences were all separate individual amazing experiences, and they all kind of fed each other. You are right, there are a lot of idiosyncrasies that happen in different places. I would say that in Hong Kong, living in China and Taiwan and that region, I love that there was - in Asia, the world is really your oyster. You can kind of explore, and get away with things that you wouldn't be able to get away with in other parts of the world. It was my time of exploration, so I went out a lot, it was a more wild time for me I would say.

2) Instinct. When I read something, instinctually I know if it's something I connect to immediately. And then after instinct, there are other factors that weigh into it - creative teams, directors, studios. But initially, for me, it's always instinct. It's the way I've lived in my career for a long time.

3) Oh wow, so much... you know, now, as an adult, it's a little bit different, because I'm older now working in the industry, I'm not 20 or 19, so one thing I do well now that I didn't do before is take things personally. Now it's different with the public or the press, but in your daily workings with people, I'm able now to really separate my feelings when I'm doing something professionally and when I'm doing something personally, because this is a very specific job, we are creative people and when you are creative for a living, it involves your heart, it involves opening and it involves something that may not so be as involved if you were an accountant or attorney. You put your heart out there. So there is always risk you get hurt when you are a person who uses your heart in your work. Before, I didn't know - I just gave and gave and gave, it was all heart, I had to learn lessons about people in that time, and now, when those lessons come up again, what they're for and that it's not personal and so I am not married to the things people throw at you sometimes.

4) There are a few organizations. There's one that I work with called Wild Aid, they are a great group because Wild Aid targets consumers, and when you think about any kind of change we hope to implement in the world, it begins and ends with the consumers. Even with trafficking and women and all this bullshit that is happening around the world - if there isn't a CONSUMER, there isn't an issue. So Wild Aid is so clever in their approach to consumers and making compassionate choices. I do their campaigns, their pSAs, because I think that is the right approach. I think that whenever we need to affect change, we need to speak to their hearts and ask them to make better choices. http://www.wildaid.org

BrodyApproved43 karma

I've got an artesian well on my property and the water pressure is lousy. Any suggestions?

MaggieQ50 karma

Hahahaha! Oh my gosh, I have no idea but I think - if this is about water-saving as well as pressure, I like using shower heads that use air pressure and water, so you're using about half the water by mixing it with air. So hopefully that helps with water pressure and using less water, so you know...

unicorn92831 karma

What's your favorite animal?

MaggieQ71 karma

OH MY GOODNESS, so many! You know, when I was young - I mean, right now, I love everything - when I was young, I was obsessed with cheetahs, obsessed. I couldn't get over their abilities, they are the fattest land animals on the planet, from 0-60 in a few seconds, and I couldn't get over how incredible nature, just raw nature, could be, and how any animal could be that fast or beautiful. I had cheetah photos all over my walls as a kid. I love big cats. Very few things are more beautiful than big cats - leopards, tigers, panthers!

beernerd28 karma

I was just thinking the other day about how it's been too long since I last saw Balls of Fury. Would you consider reprising your role in a sequel?

MaggieQ34 karma

HAHAH! they would have to consider making a sequel first!

tealfan25 karma

Thanks for doing this, Maggie! Wife & I were fans of Nikita and knew you from M:I3 (too bad about that Lamborghini) & Live Free and Die Hard. Good luck with Stalker. Glad to see you had no trouble finding a new show! Didn't know you were involved in animal rights. Can you tell us a bit how that came about?

MaggieQ75 karma

I was going one night to a concert, and I was meting my best friend there, and she was late, and so I was waiting for her outside the concert hall, and there was a woman there with a table and a bunch of brochures and a sign up sheet, and I watched this woman and people passed her and nobody stopped to talk to her. So I felt bad, walked over and introduced myself, and said "Who are you here with?" and she said "PETA" and I wanted to learn more about it - she said "I'm trying to educate people about meat eating and animal rights." And at the time, i thought I was an animal lover -I had two dogs I loved, but i ate meat, I wore fur, I didn't know there was anything truly wrong with it until I was educated. So that woman changed my life, she sent me all this information on meat eating and its affect on the environment. That was 17 years ago, and I gave up eating meat, I gave up exotic furs and skins and that was it for me.

I actually ended up seeing that woman 10 years later - I went back to Asia, and I told her that she changed my life. So that goes to show you, that one person who wants to make a difference can affect another person who one day may have the chance to amplify their voice!

suaveitguy24 karma

What is the worst part of being regularly recognized?

MaggieQ73 karma

Um... I think the worst part is if somebody, if they want a photo or they want to say something, they should ask or just do it, I think the worst is when people take photos of you while you are running errands - it's bizarre because they know who you are, there's this sort of ownership. But I don't think anyone, famous or not, would want someone to put their phone in their face and take photos of them. I don't love that because it's not respectful. If you want anything from anyone, you just ask.

CobraCornelius23 karma

If you could go back in time and talk to Wayne Gretzky, would you convince him not to trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the LA Kings?

MaggieQ43 karma

If you want me to... I will.

Ron_Tam20 karma

Hi Maggie, thanks for doing this AMA! I've been a big fan since your days in Hong Kong cinema.

Important question. You have been sentenced to death for a crime you did not commit. What would you choose as your final meal?

MaggieQ37 karma

It would have to be something Vietnamese, because my mom's vietnamese and I can't live without Vietnamese food. It would probably be vegetarian Pho. And I don't do dairy but I'm a huge ice cream fan. I'd have to have ice cream before I went!

judomonkeykyle19 karma

Justin Long was on here a couple days ago. Do you have any interesting stories involving him, from your work in Live Free or Die Hard?

MaggieQ31 karma

Hahaha! Every story about Justin is interesting! Justin is the funniest person I've ever known in my entire life, and I've never laughed MORE on a movie than I did on Die Hard with him ! There are too many stories - I would need an entire hour dedicated to Justin Long.

spencerlance16 karma

So, any fun stories from the set of Priest?

MaggieQ40 karma

Oh my gosh, that's been one of my favorite movies of all time to work on. Paul Bettany and I did a lot of practical jokes on people - there was one day where we had an assistant director who was sort of, you know, stressed out a lot - he was a very nice guy but always worried about everything, so one day Paul and I got into a fake fight on set, we planned the whole fight, and the Director of Photography got involved - the "most important" people on set - and we are in this huge brawl and we just watched this poor AD have a complete meltdown, he thought it was real and we just died laughing. There was nothing for him to worry about, the crew and the cast were SO nice, and poor Steve, he almost had a heart attack, it was hysterical. We felt SO bad. Really, really fun movie. Best cast, best crew.

Frajer13 karma

What is Shailene Woodley like to work with?

MaggieQ23 karma

She's a dream. I call her my baby. She is one of the most genuine people in the business, and I'm so proud that right now in the business that we live and work in that there are young people who can represent themselves properly the way Shailene does.

Sisiwakanamaru12 karma

Hi, I just want to ask two questions:

  • In regard to your new show, what is your view about cyber crime?
  • What is your favorite dessert?

Thank you

MaggieQ26 karma

You know, I think that we are moving into an area that we unfortunately don't fully understand yet in terms of cyber-stalking, cyber-crime. Our technology has moved quicker than we have had time to catch up with. So there are still laws and gray areas that are continually having to be worked out. And so this is going to be a process that needs to be worked on.

My favorite dessert... I love peanut butter, and I love chocolate, and i love them together.

iloveapps310 karma

How long have you been a vegetarian?

MaggieQ19 karma

I have a been a vegetarian for now... 16.5 years I think!

xkittenpuncher10 karma

Hi Maggie. I'm am an admirer, you're absolutely gorgeous! I just woke up (4:30 am here) and I found out about Thom Yorke's surprise album which drove me nuts... My question is, who is your favorite band/musician?

MaggieQ11 karma

OH MY GOODNESS, so many! You know, I really love the Poetry of Leonard Cohen, I'm a big Leonard Cohen fan, because - not because I think he's the best singer, but I think he's one of the most amazing poets, so he's always had a special place in my heart.

GRANDSONS_OF_ANARCHY8 karma

Welcome to reddit! My dad loved nikita, do you have any fun stories from the set?

MaggieQ61 karma

Oh, so many. Wow, that's 4 years of stories. I'm not really sure which ones... you know what's so funny, I have a lot of injury stories from the set, and people will ask me "did you still have fun?" and there was a moment on Nikita when I shot a gun, and the hot gun shell fell on my shirt and burned a hole through my shirt and burned my boob, and the reason that was funny was because all of a sudden i had to get this hot shell under my bra - that day every guy on crew was a medic! it was so weird!

cobaltcollapse8 karma

When you were in Balls of Fury, did you actually get to play a one on one game of ping pong with Christopher Walken?

MaggieQ19 karma

No, not with Chris, no. I played Ping Pong with George Lopez and Dan our star, and our directors, Ben and Thomas. But i never got to play with Chris, no. By the way, he had a hard time playing in that costume of his - so had I played him, he would have lost really badly, which would have been embarrassing, so probably better that we didn't.

Tiegrr7 karma

Hey Maggie, just stopping by to tell you how much I love Three Kingdoms! What was it like working with Andy and Sammo?

MaggieQ8 karma

Three Kingdoms was probably the most challenging film I'd ever been on. I loved the cast, but geographically and sort of, logistics, it was a really really tough shoot. We were in the middle of the Gobi desert filming through every weather condition you can think of, with PLA soldiers, horses, sandstorms, hail... no obstacle that didn't impede us on that movie. But i thought Andy was great.

lmi67 karma

Hi, Maggie! Thanks for doing this AMA. What was filming Divergent like? Also, what's the set of Stalker like?

MaggieQ9 karma

Divergent was cool. I had never been with such a big ensemble in a film before, especially one with so many young people. I think my movies tended to skew a little bit older, so this was the first time I've been involved in a YA situation. I have to say I had such a great time, and it was great to be surrounded by such young energy. And i have to say - those kids wore me out, man! I'm very close to all of them, so I feel very fortunate.

You know - I don't mean to sound like every set that I'm on is a blast, but it kind of is! I make it a point to have fun when I work, you have to love what you do, but I have the most AMAZING set of co-stars on this show. There are only 4 principals, and everyone is funny, everyone is smart and driven and wants this show to be a hit, so I've been absorbing this amazing energy and loving every second of it.

sundin4mvp7 karma

Do you have a favourite dish that you prepare for family and friends?

MaggieQ13 karma

Oh, I'm a Mega-cook, so there's not one dish, I cook like a crazy person. There's no ethnicity I don't make. I make vegetarian versions of everything.

judomonkeykyle7 karma

In Movies/TV do you prefer playing the villain or the hero?

MaggieQ9 karma

You know, I think that I like playing the hero - but I think that playing the villain is more fun.

wpecks7 karma

How's it going?

MaggieQ14 karma

At the moment? Too blessed for words.

tekoyaki7 karma

What question do you have for reddit?

MaggieQ21 karma

Are you looking forward to my new show?

Sakura_76 karma

Who's your favorite superhero?

MaggieQ15 karma

Wonder Woman!

jonemillard5 karma

Hi Maggie,

What is the best film you've recently seen?

MaggieQ13 karma

You know, I have been watching a few films lately, and I haven't seen a good one yet, but I will tell you what I am looking forward to seeing - BOYHOOD. The one that took 12 years to shoot! I'm looking forward to seeing that.

koalawalawala5 karma

Hi Maggie,

I've been a huge fan of yours since Gen-X Cops 2!

How difficult was it to transition from Hong Kong to Hollywood? And as an Asian-American actress, are you optimistic that studios are opening more roles for Asians?

Thanks!

MaggieQ9 karma

The transition was nice, actually. Because the Hollywood system has been perfected for a reason. Things work here, and there's a structure to it that's really great. In Asia it's a little bit like guerrilla filmmaking, even on big films, so the transition was actually nice for me, and really as an actor the process is the same no matter where you are, no matter what budget, the process for me is always the same since i give the same amount in terms of effort no matter where I am. So that stayed the same for me, but the system in which i was entering was a really nice place to be after so many years of working in entertainment but not sort of working in that system.

Ziure9164 karma

I once saw you in an awesome pic swimming with a whale. First, how was that experience and second, was that a WWF assignment?

You are among the most beautiful and incredibly fit women in Hollywood. In fact, I credit you with getting me started on a green juice regime. I believe you are either Vegan or Vegetarian. Do you supplement your healthy eating with workouts?

MaggieQ4 karma

It was an assignment for WildAid, and it was a release for the asian region because there were some big anti-sharkfin laws in China, so we did a swim with these sharks down in Mexico, and it was life-changing. When you can actually get in front of these animals and experience their majesty and their beauty. I already had respect for these animals in that way, but 95% of people will not have the experience i had. So I call that photo "shark love" - to get an image that could put them where I was, and give them a reason why we should protect them.

Yes, I do. But when you are lead on a television show, that kind of goes away a little bit, but yes, I try to. If I can do it every day, I will! And I am so happy about the green juice.

Arpikarhu4 karma

loved you in Manhattan Midnight! how was working on that film?

MaggieQ8 karma

You know, that was the film where I actually fell in love with acting. Before that film, I didn't have much experience, but I learned so much on it, and I remember the director was such a big support system for me on that film. And I appreciated it for that reason, I mean the experience was up and down, but the learning process was huge for me.

sacrehbluh3 karma

How did your cameo in Rush Hour 2 come about?

MaggieQ19 karma

Oh - Jackie asked me to do it, so I had to! haha! The director Brett Ratner kept asking me to do a small role, and I kept saying no, I was very shy, and he said "I'm going to tell Jackie, and he's going to MAKE You do it," and i started laughing, and he did - he told Jackie and Jackie made me do it!

Weekndr3 karma

Hi Maggie!

Simple question: What song are you enjoying currently?

MaggieQ10 karma

My girl Zoe Kravitz, her old album, with a band called Lolawolf, and she had this song called "What Love Is" and I'm obsessed with it. And I call her and I say "I'm listening to you in the car right now!" and she's like "You're so sweet and supportive!"

It's kind of funky, inspired by the 80s, you think you know what the lyrics are but you really have to listen. It's fun, and dark and I'm obsessed with it right now.

Electricstring3 karma

[deleted]

MaggieQ7 karma

You know, I love them both equally. I do, and I am so blessed to do both.

Palpz3 karma

Hi Maggie.

If you could make any one unilateral change to the Constitution, what would it be?

MaggieQ23 karma

Oh man... My amendment would be about gun laws.

mrniceguy103 karma

which faction would you pick?

MaggieQ9 karma

I mean, I think they got it right with the casting. I think I would be Dauntless. There's a big part of me that's Dauntless. But even when I was growing up, I do feel very Abnegation in my heart.

jonemillard2 karma

Do you have any memorable or funny stories about filming Divergent and Insurgent? Thank you and I really admire your work!

MaggieQ4 karma

You know, my funny stories on those films always happen off-set, because I'm really close to that cast and we hang out when we're not working, so we definitely have laughs on those films.

Anfini2 karma

Where was your favorite place to eat while you were still living in Hong Kong?

MaggieQ7 karma

I'm very all about local food, so you would find me in Hong Kong at the little Dai pai dong stalls- that's where I hung out.

WavvyBoi2 karma

What is your favorite food?

MaggieQ6 karma

My favorite food... it would have to be Vietnamese and Italian.

zacharywcox2 karma

Hi Maggie! It's awesome that you're here and I have a question. I'm the host of a podcast based out of Indianapolis, IN and it centers around movies. I'd love to have you on as a guest for a 20-30 min. interview. On the show, we provide commentary/trivia, watch a movie, and interview guests pertaining to that movie. We'll be watching "Operation: Endgame," which I absolutely enjoy every minute of, and you being a guest interview would be appreciated and incredible. Would you be interested? Thanks for taking the time to read my request and I look forward to your response.

Thanks again, Zach

MaggieQ5 karma

That's a publicist question!

uhaul261 karma

Sorry to be that guy but I have to say it. You are the most attractive person on TV since kelly kapowski. So my question is ....... sorry I lost my train of thought as I just looked at a picture of your eyes ....... ummm ....... Will you say hi to me?

MaggieQ7 karma

Hello! Hahaha!

marvin_sirius1 karma

Any relation to Annie Q from The Leftovers?

MaggieQ6 karma

No :)

[deleted]1 karma

[deleted]

MaggieQ3 karma

I've never been to Key Largo! I'm sorry you had that experience, but i don't know who it was with.

Ballacaust30000 karma

As a woman who is both very beautiful and from what I can tell from your films also very deadly...

What can I do to get a girlfriend like you?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am willing to buy her chicken wraps and take her to a magic show. If it all works out, I'm formally inviting you to our wedding. Open bar. Thanks.

MaggieQ12 karma

Well, be careful what you wish for! Haha!

turkeybot69-2 karma

Would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?

MaggieQ5 karma

Oh my god, that would be so fun! I would love to see the big duck!

thealaneffect-2 karma

hi I didn't recognise your name, so I googled you, and what is going on with your dress in this picture?

MaggieQ8 karma

Define "going on" I don't know what "going on" means!