Maria Tran

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Maria Tran
Maria Tran in 2022
Born
Trần Vũ Hồng Phương

January 30, 1985 (1985-01-30) (age 40)
Brisbane, Australia
EducationWestern Sydney University, Bachelor of Psychology
Occupation(s)Actress, director, producer
SpouseTakashi Hara
Websitemariatran.co

Maria Tran (Vietnamese: Maria Trần, born January 30, 1985) is a Vietnamese-Australian actress, martial artist, producer, and director.[1] She has appeared in the Australian comedy series Fat Pizza: Back in Business, Street Smart, as well as international productions like Fist of the Dragon (produced by Roger Corman), Death Mist and Tracer.

Tran has directed and starred in several independent action short films, including Hit Girls, Gaffe, Enter the Dojo, and Operation Kung Flu[2]. In 2023, she portrayed "Madame Tien" in the Paramount+ television series Last King of the Cross.[3] She also served as producer, director, and lead actor in Echo 8, a microbudget community-led action film.[4][5]

She has won awards such as the Breakout Female Performer award at the International Action on Film Festival and the 2016 Female Action Performer of the Year at MartialCon.[6]

Early life and education

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Born in Brisbane, Australia,[7] Tran's parents were refugees, who fled Vietnam in the 1980s. Her father was a former soldier in the South Vietnamese Army, and her mother worked in publicity. Her family moved to Sydney before settling in Brisbane, where they opened a fish-and-chip shop.[7]

Tran attended Dinmore State School and Camira State School before moving to Sydney and attending Villawood Public School, Fairfield West Public School, Westfields Sports High School, Sunnybank State High School, and Canley Vale High School. She left home at 16 and moved back to Brisbane. She returned to Sydney a year later to finish school, where she graduated in 2002 from Canley Vale High School. She later attended the University of Western Sydney, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology in 2007.[7]

Career

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Community arts & advocacy

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Tran first became involved in filmmaking in 2007 through a community filmmaking workshop, and later became a coordinator and educator working with culturally diverse and at-risk youth.[8] She went on to serve as a community arts trainer for several local councils in Western Sydney[9][10] and was a guest lecturer in filmmaking and digital media at the Australian National University.

In 2013, Tran directed her first theatre production, Press Play,[11] and from 2013 to 2015, she held the role of Vice-President (External Affairs) for the Vietnamese Community of Australia in New South Wales. In 2019, she was selected as an Australian representative for the Australia–Vietnam Leadership Dialogue.[12][13]

Filmmaking

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Tran began her career with the award-winning short Happy Dent (2008), followed by a series of action and comedy projects including Hit Girls (2012). She was recognized with the Screen NSW Emerging Producer Placement and commissioned to direct community films such as Change of Our Lives (2013),[14] later selected for the Viet Film Fest.[15]

Through ICE’s Produce Perfect program, she developed two original screenplays — the historical epic The Drums of Me Linh and the action-comedy Fury of the Far East — the latter evolving into Tiger Cops under ABC’s Fresh Blood scheme.[16]

In 2009, she received the Metroscreen Multicultural Mentorship Scheme for her short film A Little Dream, which she directed under the mentorship of Khoa Do.[17][14] She later produced and starred in the self-documentary Quest for Jackie Chan! (2011), chronicling her filmmaking journey and her meeting with action star Jackie Chan.[18][19][dead link][20][dead link]

In 2017, Tran established her production company Phoenix Eye and directed the mockumentary The Subtractor, examining challenges faced by Asian leads in Hollywood.[21] She has also taught stage combat and fight choreography at AFTRS and led filmmaking workshops across regional New South Wales.

Tran made her feature debut with Echo 8 (2023), co-written with her sister Elizabeth H. Vu and co-starring Takashi Hara.[22] Produced on a modest $10,000 budget, the film won Best Film at the Tokyo Film Awards and Best Feature Film – Women’s Film at the World Carnival–Singapore, and was later distributed on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Apple TV+.

Building on its success, Tran launched The Echo 8 Trilogy, a female-driven martial arts action series produced by Phoenix Eye, with sequels Five by Five and Echo 8 Beyond scheduled for international release in 2026.

Acting career

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Tran's first acting role was in Australia's first kung fu comedy, Downtown Rumble, in 2008, followed by her first TV role on the ABC Logie TV series My Place, Channel 7's Australia: The Story of US, and Channel 9's Love Child.[citation needed]

Tran self-produced, directed, and acted in the action comedy Hit Girls, co-starring Juju Chan. She received the 2016 Breakout Female Action Performer of the Year at the Action On Film International Film Festival. After Hit Girls, she worked on Roger Corman's movie Fist of the Dragon, directed by Antony Szeto, starring Josh Thomson, and filmed in Guangzhou, China.[23]

In 2015, Tran played the female antagonist "Phuong Lua" in the Vietnamese blockbuster Truy Sat[24]

In 2018, Tran was cast as the comedic Tiger wife "Trans Phat" in Streets Smart, and the following year she was cast as nun-chuck wielding "Susie" in Fat Pizza: Back In Business.

During the COVID pandemic, Tran was commissioned by Diversity Arts Australia through their program "I am Not A Virus"[25] to produce 1 in response to the anti-Asian sentiment during that period.

In March 2022 it was reported that Tran joined the cast of the show Last King of the Cross.[26] The same year she acted in the film Suka and The Gift that Gives.[27]

Personal life

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Tran is married to Japanese actor Takashi Hara.[28] She lives in Sydney, Australia and Las Vegas, Nevada.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Alternative title Role Notes
2012 Enter The Dojo Fighter also producer
2012 Hit Girls 《职业女杀手》 Charlie Vu (Lead role) also co-director
2013 Change of our Lives Bich also director and producer
2015 Fist of the Dragon 《猛龍追擊8小時》 Zhen
2015 The Challenge Letter 《挑戰書》 Jennifer
2016 Tracer Truy Sát Phuong Lua
2021 Operation Kung Flu[29] Phoenix also director and producer
2023 Suka[30] Lyn
2023 Knot Karen Pang
2023 The Gift That Gives Erin Huynh
2023 Echo 8[31] Echo 8 also director and producer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 Downtown Rumble Apprentice Main cast
2009 My Place Thi Mai 1 episode
2015 Australia: The Story of Us Vietnamese Mother 1 episode
2015 How Not to Behave Beach Girl 2 episodes
2015 Love Child Hoang Supporting cast (season 3)
2017 Tiger Cops Tiger Main cast
2018 Street Smart Trans Phat 8 episodes, Supporting cast
2019–21 Fat Pizza: Back In Business Suzie 4 episodes, Supporting cast
2019 Deadly Women Thi 1 episode
2019 Nightwalkers Flashback Vamp 1 episode
2023 Local Council Kara 2 episodes, Supporting cast
2023 Last King of the Cross Tran Cat Tien Main cast

Awards

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  • Selected as 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians 2021.[32]
  • Tran was the recipient of the Create NSW 2018 Western Sydney Fellowship. She was awarded $50,000 for her year-long career development and project "Femme Fatales: Seen and Heard".[33]
  • Short film "Happy Dent", which Tran directed, won Best Film and Achievement in Directing at the 2008 Shortcuts Film Festival.[34]
  • She was the People's Choice and a runner-up for the "Dreamgirls" multicultural pageant in 2014.[35][36][37]

References

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  1. ^ a b filmadmin (6 March 2023). "One On One With Award-Winning Actor & Filmmaker Maria Tran". FilmCentral Magazine. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Maria Tran". Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  3. ^ Slatter, Sean (8 May 2022). "Callan Mulvey, Tess Haubrich, Damian Walshe-Howling join 'Last King of the Cross'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  4. ^ Welsh, Lily (11 April 2025). "'Necessity-breeds-creativity' crowdfunded double feature, 'Echo 8 Beyond' and 'Five By Five', wraps". IF Magazine.
  5. ^ Hall, Ally (7 July 2025). "Chasing creative dreams in Parramatta - Parra News". Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ^ filmadmin (6 March 2023). "One On One With Award-Winning Actor & Filmmaker Maria Tran". FilmCentral Magazine. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Dapin, Mark (3 June 2017). "Maria Tran: beaten up at high school, now action-movie ace". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  8. ^ Dreher, Tanja (2012). "A partial promise of voice: digital storytelling and the limit of listening". Media International Australia Incorporating Culture and Policy. 142: 157–166. doi:10.1177/1329878X1214200117. S2CID 142898999. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. ^ School, Head of. "Vietlish! New media of the Vietnamese Diaspora – School of Archaeology and Anthropology – ANU – School of Archaeology and Anthropology – ANU". archanth.anu.edu.au. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  10. ^ artshub-au (12 March 2013). "Maria Tran, actor, filmmaker & educator". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Cultural Exchange Program 2012". Fairfield High School School Newsletter. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017.
  12. ^ "MARIA TRAN | 2019 Australian Delegates". AVLD. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Young leaders from Vietnam and Australia shape the future of both nations at the 2019 Australia - Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue". Matterhorn Communications. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Screen NSW". screen.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  15. ^ Caines, Kimberley (23 July 2013). "Change Our Lives film breaks new ground in hepatitis fight". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  16. ^ Stone, Lucy (30 June 2016). "Following in the footsteps of Jackie Chan". Fairfield City Champion. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  17. ^ "Multicultural Mentorship Films Screening-What's On-Activities/Hobbies-Paddington". manlyclassifieds.com.au. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Speakers". 7 July 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  19. ^ ArtsHub. "Maria Tran, actor, filmmaker & educator". Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  20. ^ "Maria Tran – on the search for Jackie Chan". ABC Brisbane. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Diverse Screens filmmaker Maria Tran · Diversity Arts Australia". Diversity Arts Australia. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  22. ^ "KNL EXCLUSIVE! Maria Tran: Fairfield's internationally acclaimed actress and filmmaker - fairfieldlocalnews". 10 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Fist of the Dragon (2014) | Martial Arts & Action Entertainment". 18 November 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  24. ^ "ECHO 8: TRUY SAT'S Maria Tran is Locked and Loaded for Her Directorial Debut with the Upcoming Action-Thriller!". ACTION-FLIX. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Confronting racism in a different way - conveying the message through action comedy film". SBS Language. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  26. ^ Goldbart, Max (6 May 2022). "'Last King Of The Cross': Paramount+ Australia Drama Adds Cast Members Including '300: Rise Of An Empire' Star Callan Mulvey". Deadline. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Joy Hopwood's The Gift That Gives Cast Set for a January 2023 Shoot - The Curb". 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  28. ^ "'Echo 8' and The World of Indie Filmmaking - Black Belt Magazine". blackbeltmag.com. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  29. ^ Golden, Lee B. (2 April 2021). "OPERATION KUNG FLU Trailer: Maria Tran Takes Racism To Task In The New Action Comedy Short From Phoenix Eye". Film Combat Syndicate. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  30. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (27 July 2022). "'Suka' Begins Principal Photography in Sydney". Variety Australia. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Echo 8". Echo 8. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  32. ^ "40 Under 40 Awards – 2021 Winners". www.asianaustralianleadership.com.au. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Suite of fellowships awarded to NSW artists". Limelight. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  34. ^ Tseen (10 April 2008). "Press Release – Youth Week Shortcut's Film Festival Winner (Fairfield Powerhouse, NSW)". Asian Australian Studies News. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  35. ^ Mat, Nguyen (1 August 2014). "Sen Trắng: Maria Tran – Carramar girl in running to be Bollywood star!". Sen Trắng. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  36. ^ Perez, Bianca (30 July 2014). "Bollywood is the next target for Maria Tran". Fairfield City Champion. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  37. ^ "Maria Tran and her journey to DreamGirls 2014". SBS Your Language. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
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