From Dreams to Stardom: A Rising Star's Journey Through Resilience, Dreams, and Diversity

Author: Lina Nafie

A fascinating career in acting is something that a great number of people often dream about. Whether they are from Africa or Asia, whether they are Christians, Jewish or Islamic, these people find themselves united by sharing the same dream of having a great career in acting, but sadly lack a tool in the building process that prevents them from achieving their goal and making their dream come true which can lead to these these people feeling unmotivated.
 
However some people are determined to not let any obstacles slow them down on the road to their ambitions, which is the case J' Ma, an Asian-Australian actress and rising star. You may remember her from her astonishing performance at the AIM Talent Awards, or from some of her past works like Mystika, Love Unseen, or even as writer, director and producer of Together.
 
Overcoming Family Expectations and Bias
 
J' Ma’ has been dreaming of becoming an actress ever since she saw ‘Titanic’ when she was little, and wishes to have the chance, one day, to star in a movie alongside her favourite actor, Leonardo DiCaprio. Even though J' Ma now feels more comfortable in her shoes and more fulfilled as an actress, the road to acting and success was a long and difficult one for J' Ma, with a vast number of blocks and hurdles. From the impact of her ethnicity, to her family’s biased opinion about pursuing acting as a career, the odds seemed entirely against our Asian-Australian star fulfilling her dream.
 
“Coming from an Asian family, they want you to sort of be a doctor for example” J' Ma shares “I told my mom (sic) that I wanted to be an actor, but she's just very more traditional, and she never really thought about things like this. And she said that it's impossible for a young girl like me to be an actress and she actually said something that sort of broke my heart, she told me that I wasn’t pretty enough which scared me off from pursuing acting as these words came from the person I was the closest to,” the actress told Youth Jam’s Lina Nafie.
 
“I think that my mom didn’t realise the impact her words had on me back then but she supports me now and supports my acting work,” she added.
 
J' Ma reveals that one of the main challenges that froze her from engaging in acting was uncertainty and not knowing what the outcome would be. Having no one from her family prior to her being involved in this area, J' Ma explains that her mum was worried about the career choice and so was she “for the longest time was convinced (she was) not good enough, or (didn’t) look a certain way. And growing up in Australia, I never really saw anyone that looked like me on TV or film”.
 
Finding Strength Amidst Personal Challenges and Growing in the Acting profession
 
In fact all these elements combined completely scared her off her whole life from even daring to consider acting as a long-term career, until 2019. J' Ma declares “I started acting in 2019 because I went through a really bad breakup, and at that point I was thinking, my world literally is ending (sic), and I had nothing else to lose, so I decided to follow my dream.”
And from this point on, J' Ma did start chasing her dream and enrolled in acting classes. She still remembers feeling petrified during her very first acting class in 2019 but the kindness and support of her fellow peers helped to put her at ease, and J' Ma knew she was precisely in the right place and acting was the career choice meant for her. And so began the journey of the Asian-Australian actress “it’s a really beautiful trek, you start from being lost, not knowing anything, not even how to do a self tape and now I audition all the time with a self tape. At first you don’t know how to remember scripts but now I can't wait to read the script and memorise it”.

Whilst finally engaging in her dream profession, the actress found herself growing. J' Ma explains how acting has empowered her in the process by teaching her how to expose and show what she truly feels through a character and by not being afraid to be vulnerable in front of strangers. J' Ma says “I feel like I was holding in all my emotions. But when you're acting, it's almost as if you're standing completely exposed—emotionally naked—in front of everyone. You're opening up to people who don't know you, whether they're watching you on screen or live. In those moments, you are the character, fully embodying them and revealing every emotion. For me, personal growth now means being able to share what I truly feel, not just through a character, but as myself.”
 
The actress follows-up by revealing that one part she truly loves about acting and watching movies or productions is the fact they bring people together and she realised that this is one of the key reasons which drives her desire to grow and evolve as an actress. J' Ma explains how productions are a representation of life and that these stories are a depiction of reality which enables everyone to identify with the characters being portrayed and/or have experienced feelings similar to these characters at least once in their life “It’s so special because, as I mentioned earlier, stories have a unique way of connecting people. They transcend differences like where you come from, the language you speak, or your religion. At the core, we’re all human, and we share the same emotions—love, sadness, joy, and everything in between. Acting and storytelling have the power to bring people together, and that’s what drives me. I want to tell as many stories as possible, to create those connections and bring people closer through shared experiences”
 
Afterwards it was just a matter of time before J' Ma was able to land her first role in a comedy stage show called ‘Short and Sweet’ where she played the manager of a talent group. The actress recalls the most striking thing about her performance being the unconditional love and support she received from her loved ones which brought her so much joy, it made her even more determined to continue fulfilling this dream until she reaches the top.
 
“What I remember most is the incredible support I received from my acting friends—they all came to watch, and that meant so much to me. It was the sense of everyone being there for me, cheering me on. When I’m on stage or on set, I feel truly happy—it’s where I feel most alive,” J' Ma said, as her career officially begun.

Memorable Roles and Meaningful Experiences : Streets of Deceit
 
The actress has been very busy since 2019 accumulating roles and appearing in a total of 19 productions, three of them due to be released in 2025. J' Ma reveales one of her favourite parts was her role as Anya in the upcoming movie ‘Streets of Deceit’. This film is about a man's attempt to find his missing friend, but is met with challenges from his boss, work colleagues, and an old enemy that is inexorably entangled in the web; all of which he must overcome to find his friend, keep his job and stay alive. Streets of Deceit explores themes such as friendship, gangsters, loyalty, respect, and betrayal and J' Ma plays the best friend of the gang boss, one of the main characters. Her character Anya runs a bar for him and oversees the other girls who work there.
 
“Anya’s part involves keeping an eye out for anyone trying to steal the business or cause trouble.” J' Ma said.
 
She continued by giving a deeper insight on her persona of Anya.
 
“My character is a mix of fun and feisty—she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to show it. However, when she’s around her best friend, the boss, a softer and sweeter side of her comes out because of the deep bond they share.”
 
The Asian-Australian actress disclosed her best memories on the set of Streets of Deceit.
 
“Just mainly talking with the directors, producers, and fellow actors was such a rewarding experience. There’s something truly beautiful about being in a space with people who are deeply passionate about what they do—it’s where magic happens. Streets of Deceit also features a wonderfully diverse cast, which makes it even more special. It was phenomenal to witness it and even more incredible to be a part of it”.
 
As much as she enjoyed her role as Anya “it was my favourite featured film, and I am even more proud that I made it onto the poster! I absolutely loved playing that character”, starring in this movie wasn’t always an easy challenge for the actress. For one J' Ma revealed that she initially auditioned for a different part in the movie but after she met with the director and producer they realised they had other plans for her.
 
“I originally auditioned for a different role, but the director and producer liked me so much that they created a new role specifically for me. I didn’t get the role I initially wanted, but they were eager to have me in the project, which was incredible. It felt amazing when we began filming that project,” the actress shared.

But more importantly J' Ma revealed that she started working on this project during a period of enormous grief after she had lost her best friend Caitlyn.
 
Elevating yourself through the darkest moments: Learning from negative encounters
 
J' Ma had met Caitlyn during her first acting class, and the two quickly grew very close, Caitlyn becoming a very special person to J' Ma and will forever have had an enormous impact on the actress’ acting journey. However, Caitlyn passed away in 2021 shortly before the actress started filming Streets of Deceits which made working in this movie much more challenging for the Asian-Australian but also more meaningful.
 
“My best friend, whom I met in acting class, sadly passed away in June 2021. She was also an actor, incredibly talented, with over ten years of experience. Tragically, she died, and her loss changed me profoundly,” J’ Ma said.
“When we began filming this project, I was in the depths of grief, having just lost her. Filming started almost immediately—just a month after her passing. I remember crying every night and waking up the next day to show up on set. Despite the pain, I pushed through. They would apply layers of makeup to hide my tears, but I gave my all to the role. It was one of the hardest periods of my life, but that project became my anchor.”
J' Ma continued explaining how the loss of her best friend impacted her work but was also a key element to empowering her and building her resilience.
“I’m incredibly proud of this film, not only because of my work as an actor but because it helped me navigate my grief. I know my friend would be so proud of me too. This project, Streets of Deceit, holds a very special place in my heart. I love the character I played, and this experience remains the most meaningful project of my career so far. I was not only doing it for me, I felt like I was also doing it for Caitlyn. Like I had to do it for her” J' Ma followed up “Streets of Deceit was so hard because I was going through the grief of my friends passing, but I still really enjoyed it and had fun while filming it”.
After filming her favourite feature film, J' Ma recognised the profound toll her best friend's passing had on her and more specifically how it impacted her acting career.

“Sometimes, when bad things happen in life, our first instinct is to see them as purely negative. And of course, losing someone you love is devastating—it's one of the hardest things anyone can go through. When my friend passed away, it was the worst experience of my life. She’s gone, it’s life, it happens, but it left a deep impact on me,” J’ Ma confided.

“As I’ve grown, both as an actor and a person, I’ve learned to find small moments of beauty even in the most traumatic events. Her passing, while heartbreaking, gave me an unexpected gift for my craft. Thanks to Caitlyn, I can now access my emotions and cry on cue—a blessing she unknowingly gave me,” she added.

J' Ma continued by stating that there is always a way to find beauty in darkness, even if it seems impossible. There is always a possibility and she stressed how amazing it is when you can see it. She said “That’s what I wanted to share—you can always find light, even in the darkest moments.”

Navigating the Challenges of the Industry with perseverance and self-empowerment

As much as her best friend’s demise is one of the crucial elements that heavily impacted her acting job, other factors came into play when shaping the actress that J' Ma is today. The actress explained that a major challenge when choosing to engage into an acting occupation is to always believe in yourself no matter what. J' Ma specified that rejection is a part of the process and sometimes one can get rejected for unknown reasons.

“The key as an actor is to keep reminding yourself that you can do it. Mentally, it’s tough because you’re constantly hearing ‘no’ and often, you don’t even know why. It could be something as random as being too tall, too short, or even resembling the director’s ex—it’s beyond your control. The most challenging part is staying consistent and resilient in the face of that rejection”.

In fact she confessed to having faced rejection due to her background and how she grew up “I've been told that I'm not Asian enough, other times that I need to blend in with Westerners, or that I need to look a certain way.”

J' Ma added “You have to truly love what you do because this journey isn’t easy. People often only see the success—the big break—but there’s no such thing as an overnight success. They don’t see the late nights reading scripts until 3 a.m. or the countless self-tapes. They only see the end result.”

J' Ma also continued to emphasise on the importance of being passionate about what you do, knowing why you are doing it and what really matters “The real challenge is believing in yourself, staying consistent, and continuing to do what you love. If you genuinely love acting, the journey itself becomes meaningful. Whether or not you achieve massive success, it’s about constantly growing as a person and as an actor, and never stopping your learning process.”

J' Ma also adds that her faith and trust in a higher power also heavily contributed in strengthening her resilience and equipping her with extra tools to empower her to face the world of acting “I got through the grief of my best friend passing but I wasn’t alone in the process, I could really feel I had God by my side. GOD has always led the way for me. And in honour of this I would love to be involved in Christian productions and faith-based projects.”

The Asian-Australian performer revealed that it was not easy for her at the beginning to secure auditions but expressed gratitude for the unconditional support she has been receiving from her agents, mostly the agent she has been working with in Australia from the beginning.

“It’s been tough, and even now, it’s still a bit challenging. But I’m fortunate to have Paul from Creme Management, my amazing agent supporting me. I’ve been working with Paul Newlands since I started acting, and he has been phenomenal. We speak weekly, and he’s always there for me, providing guidance and encouragement,” J' Ma said, emphasising the importance in building an acting career to have a supportive agent who also believes in you. On top of the work she has been doing with Paul and Creme Management, the actress’ diverse background enabled her to widen her horizons prompting her to work with the AWN talent agency in Taiwan and the 90210 talent agency in the USA.

Finding joy in storytelling and building Diversity and Representation in the Industry

J' Ma confessed to having been inspired in her journey by other Asian icons such as Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeoh “Ever since I was young, people have always told me I look like Lucy Liu— I still hear it even today. I would absolutely love the opportunity to meet her one day or even work on a project with her—that would be incredible. And Michelle Yeoh, definitely—her journey is so inspiring to me. As an Asian actor, seeing where she started and how far she’s come is just phenomenal. It’s amazing to witness her success and the path she’s paved for others in the industry.”

Along with uniting people through stories, the actress also mentioned the significance and value she sees in embracing diversity, helping other minorities and paving the way for future asian children who dream of becoming stars as well. It was in fact one of the factors that made her love her experience starring in Streets of Deceit even more as it mixes diversity and an incredibly thriving story.
“It was wonderful. Even with the script and the way our director approached the project, it was amazing. It’s incredible to see diverse stories brought to life in films because, nowadays, people don’t want the same predictable, everyday narratives. Audiences crave something different, something fresh”.

“It’s up to producers, writers, and directors to make that happen—to cast diverse actors and bring those unique stories to the forefront. Representation matters. It’s so important for people around the world to see themselves on screen and feel like they’re part of something larger.” J' Ma continued.

J' Ma said that the importance of representation on-screen lies in the fact that the people involved in the project want to connect with the public watching, entail them and make them feel part of a bigger picture and story.

“I think it’s important for people to feel represented, heard, and understood through storytelling. For example, if a white person were to tell an Asian story, it might lack authenticity. But when an Asian person tells that story, it brings a deeper sense of truth and connection. Authenticity allows people to truly feel like they’re a part of the story and can relate to it on a personal level,” she said.

Lessons Learned, Artistic Growth and Inspiring the Next Generation

Numerous people from very different backgrounds often dream about pursuing an acting career and becoming huge stars, and by sharing her journey to success J' Ma demonstrates that it is possible for everyone to achieve that dream. No matter what speed bump comes through during the quest, the actress insists that negative experiences can have positive consequences thus making it important for one to always believe in themselves, stay resilient and persevere.
Even when beginning to engage in that first acting class, that will determine your future in the profession, the Asian-Australian performer shares what she learned from her acting classes, skills she discovered and how she learned to prepare for roles, the process she engages in to connect with her characters to deliver the most realistic performance possible.

“I try to fully immerse myself in the scenario, imagining what I would do and how my character would feel in that situation. For example, in a breakup scene, I focus on understanding what my character would be experiencing emotionally at that moment. That’s how I connect with the role and bring authenticity to the character”.

J' Ma continues by sharing a piece of advice about what makes, in her opinion, a great actor and gives authenticity to a performance “I believe that as an actor, when you’re true to yourself, when you trust in your ability to deliver the lines and embody the script honestly, it shines through in your performance. At the end of the day, some people will connect with your work, and others won’t—and that’s okay”.

“For me, I can’t speak for other actors, but my goal is to be able to look back at a project and feel confident that I gave it everything I had in that moment. If I can say that, I’ll be happy with my work,” J' Ma concluded.

With a journey snatched with obstacles, the Asian-Australian actress shares the message to her fellow peers who have the desire to also become actors that nothing is impossible with perseverance, and that the key is for one to believe in themselves and their abilities. Thus also encouraging dreamers to make it a New Year resolution to not give up on their wishes in 2025.