Lucy Liu discusses fame, art, and standing up for herself on the set of ‘Charlie’s Angels.
Lucy Liu felt as if she was from another planet growing up in Queens, New York — until she discovered the arts. However, when the fiercely independent daughter of Chinese immigrants pursued acting, she was repeatedly told she would never make it in Hollywood, which offered few opportunities for Asian American talent.
“Many people told me, ‘There is nobody out there.’ There is a dearth of Asian representation in the media, television, and film. You’re going to be extremely limited, and you’re never going to make it,'” the Emmy-nominated actor stated in a new episode of the Los Angeles Times’ podcast “Asian Enough.” “I simply thought: I have no idea what that means. I’m not sure what ‘never’ means. Therefore, let us simply attempt.”
Despite the odds, Liu, 52, has become a household name and one of Hollywood’s most prominent Asian American actors over the course of a three-decade career in television (“Ally McBeal,” “Elementary,” “Why Women Kill”) and film (“Shanghai Noon,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” and the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise).
She also made history: Liu was the first Asian woman to host “Saturday Night Live” in 2000, and she became only the second Asian American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019, following Anna May Wong. And there is still much to learn about the creative polymath.
Liu made her directorial debut with episodes of “Elementary,” “Why Women Kill,” and Marvel’s “Luke Cage.” Additionally, she is a multidisciplinary visual artist who has exhibited internationally, focusing on themes of connection and belonging. Her first exhibition in the United States, which is currently on view virtually at the Napa Valley Museum, is something she intends to share with her 5-year-old son, Rockwell, who recently discovered what his mother does for a living.
If there is still much to learn about Liu, this is intentional. “I’m not a very open person about my life,” she admitted during the podcast interview, “because I believe that sometimes when you expose yourself, people begin to confuse what they see with what they know about you.” “It’s given me a lot of leeway in terms of determining how far I want to go, because nobody knows me personally.”
That has not deterred Liu from speaking out against Hollywood’s contribution to the perpetuation of anti-Asian racism and stereotypes. Following her April Washington Post op-ed, Liu discussed some of the difficulties inherent in navigating a career and “moving the needle” for AAPI representation while mainstream American culture continues to dehumanize and sexualize Asian women.
She also discussed a confrontation with co-star Bill Murray on the set of 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” that was recently resurfaced and went viral, and how the impulse to defend herself stems from a childhood memory of her mother being talked down to. “I don’t want to be that person who is afraid to speak up for herself and defend the one thing I have left, which is my dignity and self-respect.”
