For 10 years, Mardy Ma has worked for North Hollywood attraction designer Goddard Group attending presentations and closing deals primarily for the Chinese market. Acting, however, was never far from the mind of the 39-year-old South Pasadena resident, who had started acting as a young adult while working in her native China. Now, a phone call early this year from a casting agent Ma met six years ago has given her a break she never expected. She was chosen as one of the stars of “One Child” a two-part BBC Drama movie airing Dec. 5 and 6 on SundanceTV. “I decided to take the opportunity,” Ma added. “I thought if I never go, I will never get it.” “One Child,” a Chinese adoption drama, was filmed for two months in London and two weeks in Hong Kong. But since her sales job requires her to visit Asian clients anyway, Ma said taking the time off for the filming was not a big problem. Goddard Group designs attractions for theme parks, resorts, museums and other destinations. The work spans the globe but these days it is particularly busy in Asia. Ma recently closed on an $8.3 million project in Shanghai. Plus, her boss, firm founder Gary Goddard, was supportive. “Beyond her expertise as a sales and marketing executive for us, I, as a director and writer myself, have seen Mardy’s natural abilities when it comes to acting,” he said. Ma has seen some scenes when re-recording dialogue. Watching them, she did not feel like it was herself on screen but the character she was playing – a mother from the Chinese countryside becoming reacquainted with the daughter she gave up for adoption. “If I can get another acting job because of this I will be happy,” she said. – Mark R. Madler