Maggie Q picked up strong work ethic from Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise

More than 20 years ago, Hong Kong cinema legend Jackie Chan saw something in a young model-turned-actress named Maggie Q, and decided to sign her to his management company and train her to become an action star.

- Alison de Souza

NEW YORK - More than 20 years ago, Hong Kong cinema legend Jackie Chan saw something in a young model-turned-actress named Maggie Q, and decided to sign her to his management company and train her to become an action star.

Now, the Asian-American performer is back in the spotlight with her first high-profile role in more than five years, headlining Ballard, an acclaimed police procedural series streaming on Prime Video.

And the 46-year-old says witnessing the ferocious work ethic of movie stars such as Chan and her Mission: Impossible III (2006) co-star Tom Cruise continues to shape her professionally today.

A spin-off of the cult Bosch crime shows (2014 to 2025), Ballard — which has a 100 per cent critics' rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes — follows Renee Ballard (Q), a detective with a chip on her shoulder who takes over the cold case division at the Los Angeles police department.

At a recent screening in New York, Q — whose last major TV roles were the action thriller Nikita (2010 to 2013) and political drama