Kenneth Ma
Kenneth Ma Kwok-ming is a Hong Kong actor contracted to TVB.
Ma had won the Most Popular Male Character award at the TVB Anniversary Awards for four times in 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2021 respectively, becoming the TVB actor with the most wins in that category. In 2019, he won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor with his role in the drama Big White Duel.
Early life
As the youngest of a family of three children, Kenneth Ma has two older twin sisters. He attended Salesian English School before immigrating with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1992. His father, who worked as a mechanical engineer, would travel back and forth between Hong Kong and Vancouver for work. At first his family lived in Richmond before settling in Port Coquitlam. After attending one semester at Douglas College, he transferred to University of British Columbia majoring in mechanical engineering. During college, Ma joined an acting troupe that would perform sketches. After graduating from college in 1998, Ma and his entire family decided to return to Hong Kong.When Ma returned to Hong Kong, he initially worked at a glass manufacturing company as a quality surveillance inspector but found his job boring. Hoping to find something more of his interest, he sent out over 70 resumes but only received a response from TVB for an interview notice to their 14th Artist Training Class. His starting salary at TVB was a meager estimated HK$4000.00 a month, one third of his former job salary, but since he found acting to be more suitable for him, he decided to join TVB.
Career
In the beginning of Ma’s career at TVB, he often played extras, passers-by and fill ins. One of Ma's early roles was playing the giant cockroach “Siu Keung” in Dayo Wong's music video "Blue Sky". Within 5 years since graduating from TVB's training course, the company started to promote him when he was chosen as one of the S4's in 2003 drama Triumph in the Skies and later as one of the six "siu sangs" to be the "Olympic 6" during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.In 2006, Ma won the Most Improved Male Artiste award at the TVB Anniversary Awards. In late 2007, he played his first leading role in the drama Survivor's Law II.
In 2012, Ma gained recognition with his role as Cheung Yat-kin in the critical acclaimed medical drama The Hippocratic Crush, winning awards from both Malaysia and Hong Kong.
After starring in the hit 2013 drama Triumph in the Skies II, Ma caught the eye of international star Jackie Chan and was invited to star in the romantic comedy Fate Is a Game.
In 2017, Ma starred in the critically acclaimed supernatural drama The Exorcist's Meter as the taxi driver and exorcist Ma Kwai. Acknowledging his strong performance in that series, Ma was labelled as "citizen's best actor pick" and became a strong contender for the Best Actor award at the 2017 TVB Anniversary Awards. He eventually won the Most Popular Male Character award, which was his second win in that category. In addition, Ma won the Best Actor in a Leading Role awards in both the People's Choice TV Awards 2017 and the Hong Kong Television Awards 2017, which served as a public recognition, as all awardees were 100% voted for by audience and netizens.
In 2018, Ma won the Most Popular Male Character award for the third time at the TVB Anniversary Awards with his role in the period drama Deep in the Realm of Conscience.
In 2019, Ma starred in critical acclaimed medical drama Big White Duel, eventually winning the Best Actor award at the TVB Anniversary Awards.
With his role in 2021 medical drama Kids’ Lives Matter, Ma won the Most Popular Male Character award at the TVB Anniversary Awards, which is his fourth win in that category.
Personal life
Kenneth Ma lives with his parents in a 900 square feet flat located in Tai Koo City, Hong Kong. He has said that his future wife must get along with his parents and be able to live together with them.During his youth, Ma and his mother were fans of Leslie Cheung. Ma's mother adopted her western name after Cheung's hit song "Monica". At age 14, Ma was featured in Cheung's 1988 Pepsi commercial.
Ma is known to commute to work via mass transit even though he owns a car. He is a soccer fan and supporter of Real Madrid, Manchester United, and AC Milan.
Ma met Jacqueline Wong in 2015 during the filming of Inspector Gourmet. The two announced their relationship in 2017, but broke up after Wong was spotted kissing married star Andy Hui in April 2019.
On 12 June 2020, Ma and Roxanne Tong were found to be dating in Hung Hom. They admitted their relationship on the next day via Instagram. They became engaged in 2023. They got married in December 2023
Filmography
Television dramas
Films
Awards and nominations
TVB Anniversary Awards
Ma has won eight TVB Anniversary Awards between 2005 and 2023.| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 2003 | My Favourite Most Improved Male Artiste of the Year | The Driving Power, Triumph in the Skies | Nomitated |
| 2004 | My Favourite Most Improved Male Artiste of the Year | The Vigilante in the Mask, Next Station Choi Hung | Nomitated |
| 2005 | Most Improved Male Artiste | Scavengers' Paradise — "Tang Ken-chen" | Top 5 |
| 2005 | Best Actor | Scavengers' Paradise — "Tang Ken-chen" | Nomitated |
| 2005 | Best Supporting Actor | Into Thin Air — "Koon Ching-wan" | Top 5 |
| 2006 | Most Improved Male Artiste | La Femme Desperado, Love Guaranteed, To Grow With Love, The Herbalist's Manual | Won |
| 2006 | Best Actor | Love Guaranteed — "Kwok Fu-kan " | Nomitated |
| 2007 | Best Supporting Actor | The Family Link — "Kam Shing-chun" | Nomitated |
| 2008 | Best Actor | Survivor's Law II — "Sun Man-kwan" | Nomitated |
| 2008 | My Favourite Male Character | Survivor's Law II — "Sun Man-kwan" | Top 5 |
| 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | The Master of Tai Chi — "Mai Fung-nin" | Nomitated |
| 2009 | My Favourite Male Character | Man in Charge — "Chow Bing" | Nomitated |
| 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Born Rich — "Sha Po-loi" | Top 5 |
| 2010 | My Favourite Male Character | A Fistful of Stances — "Koo Yu-tong" | Top 5 |
| 2010 | Best Supporting Actor | The Mysteries of Love — "Lo Tin-hang " | Nomitated |
| 2011 | Best Actor | The Life and Times of a Sentinel — "Fuk-chuen" | Nomitated |
| 2012 | Best Actor | The Hippocratic Crush — "Cheung Yat-kin" | Top 5 |
| 2012 | My Favourite Male Character | The Hippocratic Crush — "Cheung Yat-kin" | Won |
| 2013 | Best Actor | The Hippocratic Crush II — "Cheung Yat-kin" | Top 5 |
| 2013 | Most Popular Male Character | The Hippocratic Crush II — "Cheung Yat-kin" | Top 5 |
| 2013 | Best Supporting Actor | Triumph in the Skies II — "Ko Chi-wang " | Nomitated |
| 2014 | Best Actor | Ghost Dragon of Cold Mountain — "Chu Cheung-shing" | Nomitated |
| 2014 | Most Popular Male Character | Ghost Dragon of Cold Mountain — "Chu Cheung-shing" | Nomitated |
| 2015 | Best Actor | Lord of Shanghai — "Kiu Ngo-tin " | Nomitated |
| 2015 | Most Popular Male Character | Lord of Shanghai — "Kiu Ngo-tin " | Top 5 |
| 2016 | Best Actor | Inspector Gourmet — "Yeung Tak-kei" | Nomitated |
| 2017 | Best Actor | The Exorcist's Meter — "Ma Kwai" | Top 5 |
| 2017 | Most Popular Male Character | The Exorcist's Meter — "Ma Kwai" | Won |
| 2017 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | The Exorcist's Meter | Nomitated |
| 2017 | Best Show Host | DoDo Goes Shopping sr 2 | Won |
| 2017 | Most Popular Theme Song | Love from Heart | Nomitated |
| 2018 | Best Actor | Deep in the Realm of Conscience — "Yam Sam-shu" | Top 5 |
| 2018 | Most Popular Male Character | Deep in the Realm of Conscience — "Yam Sam-shu" | Won |
| 2018 | Favourite TVB Actor in Singapore | Deep in the Realm of Conscience — "Yam Sam-shu" | Top 3 |
| 2018 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Deep in the Realm of Conscience — "Yam Sam-shu" | Nomitated |
| 2019 | Best Actor | Big White Duel — "Tong Ming" | Won |
| 2019 | Most Popular Male Character | Big White Duel — "Tong Ming" | Top 5 |
| 2019 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | Big White Duel | Nomitated |
| 2020 | Best Actor | Line Walker: Bull Fight — "Wai Chok-wing / Ngai Tak-lai " | Top 5 |
| 2020 | Most Popular Male Character | Line Walker: Bull Fight — "Wai Chok-wing / Ngai Tak-lai " | Nomitated |
| 2020 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Line Walker: Bull Fight — "Wai Chok-wing / Ngai Tak-lai " | Nomitated |
| 2020 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | The Exorcist’s 2nd Meter | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Best Actor | Plan “B” — "Yau Choi-shan" | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Best Actor | Kids' Lives Matter — "Fong Chung-yan " | Top 5 |
| 2021 | Most Popular Male Character | Plan “B” — "Yau Choi-shan" | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Most Popular Male Character | Kids' Lives Matter — "Fong Chung-yan " | Won |
| 2021 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Plan “B” — "Yau Choi-shan" | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Kids' Lives Matter — "Fong Chung-yan " | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | Plan “B” | Nomitated |
| 2021 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | Kids' Lives Matter | Nomitated |
| 2022 | Best Actor | Big White Duel II — "Tong Ming" | Top 5 |
| 2022 | Most Popular Male Character | Big White Duel II — "Tong Ming" | Top 10 |
| 2022 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Big White Duel II — "Tong Ming" | Top 5 |
| 2022 | Most Popular Onscreen Partnership | Big White Duel | Nomitated |
| 2023 | Best Actor | The Invisibles — "Kan Yiu-yeung " | Nomitated |
| 2023 | Best Actor | Speakers of Law — "Kam Bing-shun" | Nomitated |
| 2023 | Best Actor | The QUEEN of News — "Leung King-yan " | Top 5 |
| 2023 | Favourite TVB Actor in Greater Bay Area | The QUEEN of News — "Leung King-yan " | Top 5 |
| 2023 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | Speakers of Law — "Kam Bing-shun" | Nomitated |
| 2023 | Favourite TVB Actor in Malaysia | The QUEEN of News — "Leung King-yan " | Won |