Maggie Q doesn’t know what it looks like to play it safe. The Hawaiian-born actress’s route to the big and small screens began in Hong Kong under the tutelage of Jackie Chan, who took Q under his wing and threw her into stunt work. She was always meant to be an action star. Q got her first major break alongside Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible III.” However, it was her turn as Nikkita in The CW series of the same name that would turn the tide for Q. By donning the rogue assassin’s stilettos, she became the first Asian American series lead on an American TV show in nearly 60 years. While the spy thriller was strong, Q’s latest role in Prime Video’s “Ballard” — a spinoff of “Bosch” — is a testament to her enduring star power.
In “Ballard,” which debuted last summer and will return for its sophomore season in July, Q portrays Detective Renée Ballard, a non-nonsense, introverted investigator and a pariah in the LAPD. Ousted from the Robbery and Homicide division for exposing a beloved cop as a sexual predator, Ballard finds herself isolated in an old basement. A good ole boys club through and through, the LAPD can’t quite throw Ballard away, but they do want her out of sight and stagnant. As punishment, she is put in the command of the newly formed Cold Case Division, a pet project for ambitious Councilman Jake Pearlman (Noah Bean).
