Marli Siu has garnered interest and acclaim across film, television and theatre since she graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Acting and English in 2015. In less than a decade she has blazed a trail that has seen her named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow (2018) and win Best Actress in Film at the 2021 BAFTA Scotland Awards.
A best actress award at age 28 is a significant achievement and makes it even more surprising to learn that Marli struggled to get a place at drama school. “I could only afford to go to London once, with the cost of travel from Scotland on top of the application fees, so I picked RADA because it was a school I’d heard of!” she explains. “I also applied to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, but in retrospect I’m thankful for having to consider a different route.”
That route led her to Edinburgh Napier’s Acting and English course. “It was the first year this course was offered. It really excited me as I had considered journalism at one point, so it was a door to my acting aspirations with the potential for other paths. And my father, who was anxious about acting as a career and the challenges I might face as a mixed-race Chinese actress, was greatly comforted by it,” she says.
Born in Hong Kong, where she lived until age four, Marli’s Scottish-Chinese background was unusual in North-East Scotland where she grew up. “It would cross my mind that I was different – although I think every teenager feels different within themselves in some way,” she comments. “But I didn’t really think about being half Chinese until I started to go for acting roles. Initially, it was tricky in relation to screen work particularly, with casting agents trying to work out where to put me; it was a struggle to feel Scottish enough for some roles, or East Asian enough for others. But this changed, because the more work you do, the more you get known for the qualities you can bring.” She feels strongly that her mixed-race identity informs her work in important ways: “It adds to the characters I play and makes me always consider the impact of different cultures and experiences for others. In theatre and film we’re trying to give an insight into other people’s lives; standing on the outskirts of different communities looking in, helps you to do that.”
Just before lockdown Marli performed in ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ at the National Theatre. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play, Marli describes it as “a bucket list job”. Now she’s about to tick off another acting dream when the Donmar’s recent production of ‘The Cherry Orchard’, in which she played Varya, goes to New York. “I am so excited about this!” she enthuses. “It’s been one of my favourite experiences to date. I feel so fortunate to have worked with this director and cast, and to now have the opportunity to perform in New York.”
While theatre has been Marli’s foundation – from early days in a local drama group to landing a job with a Rep theatre immediately on graduating – she has worked across TV, film and theatre, with roles in long-running TV series such as Alex Rider and Everything I Know About Love, and many stand-out performances in a range of films including her role in Run – a searing observational indie drama – for which she won the BAFTA. “Theatre is terrifying and a real workout!” she explains, “TV can tie-you up for long periods, while film has all these moving parts and it gets quite technical. They each demand different skills and approaches but I love changing between them because it means I’m learning all the time.”
Despite a burgeoning career, there is still the freelancer’s anxiety around how long it may continue: “I’m not sure that ever stops,” she comments. “Having just worked on a film with some very established and successful actors, I found they still think about it too.” Marli’s grateful that her lecturers at Edinburgh Napier were clear about the reality of the working world for creatives: “They encouraged us to prepare for the gaps and to have a plan B, and not to regard this as any sort of failing,” she comments. “While I’ve been very fortunate with my roles and how they’ve allowed me to manage the in-between times, I don’t take any of it for granted. I still think it’s incredibly strange that the BAFTA happened! It was fantastic, but finding ways to manage an acting life – working hard, giving it everything and then dropping into quiet periods, trying to stay balanced in what can seem an insane industry – feels more significant to me.”
As interesting and influential roles continue to come her way, Marli would seem to be a young woman on the verge of stardom. There’s no doubt she will be appearing on screen and stage in the coming year, showing us exactly why she’s one to watch.