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Lucy Liu - Biography |
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Born to Chinese immigrants in
Queens, New York, Lucy Liu has always tried to balance an interest in her
cultural heritage with a desire to move beyond a strictly Asian-American
experience. Once relegated to "ethnic" parts, the energetic actress is
finally earning her stripes as an across-the-board leading lady.
Liu graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1986 and enrolled in New York
University; discouraged by the "dark and sarcastic" atmosphere of NYU,
however, she transferred to the University of Michigan after her freshman
year. She graduated from UM with a degree in Chinese Language and Culture,
managing to squeeze in some additional training in dance, voice, fine
arts, and acting. During her senior year, Liu auditioned for a small part
in a production of Alice in Wonderland and walked away with the lead;
encouraged by the experience, she decided to take the plunge into
professional acting. She moved to Los Angeles and split her time between
auditions and food service day jobs, eventually scoring a guest appearance
as a waitress on "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990). That performance led to
more walk-on parts in shows like "NYPD Blue" (1993), "ER" (1994), and "X
Files, The" (1993). In 1996, she was cast as an ambitious college student
on Rhea Perlman's ephemeral sitcom "Pearl" (1996).
Liu first appeared on the big screen as an ex-girlfriend in Jerry Maguire
(1996) (she had previously filmed a scene in the indie Bang (1995), but it
was shelved for two years). She then waded through a series of supporting
parts in small films before landing her big break on "Ally McBeal" (1997).
Liu initially auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter, which went to
Portia de Rossi, but writer-producer David E. Kelley was so impressed with
her spunk that he promised to write a part for her in an upcoming episode.
The part turned out to be that of growling, ill-tempered lawyer Ling Woo,
which Liu filled with such aplomb that she was signed on as a regular cast
member.
The "Ally" win gave Liu's film career a much-needed boost--in 1999, she
was cast as a dominatrix in the Mel Gibson action flick Payback (1999),
and as a hitchhiker in the ill-received boxing saga Play It to the Bone
(1999). The next year brought even larger roles: first as the kidnapped
Princess Pei Pei in Jackie Chan's western Shanghai Noon (2000), then as
one-third of the comely crime-fighting trio in Charlie's Angels (2000).
When she's not hissing at clients or throwing well-coiffed punches, Liu
keeps busy with an eclectic mix of off-screen hobbies. She practices the
martial art of Kali-Eskrima-Silat (knife-and-stick fighting), skis, rock
climbs, rides horses, and plays the accordion. In 1993 she exhibited a
collection of multimedia art pieces at the Cast Iron Gallery in SoHo (New
York), after which she won a grant to study and create art in China. Her
hectic schedule doesn't leave much time for romantic intrigue, but Liu
says she prefers to keep that side of her life uncluttered. |
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Lucy Liu - Personal Quotes |
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"I grew up in Jackson Heights,
Queens, with no money. I was taught not to take anything for
granted. If you are too busy being a diva or a freak, then you are
not enjoying it."
"Everything I buy is vintage and smells funny. Maybe that's why I
don't have a boyfriend."
"[about "Ally McBeal" (1997)] It's so much fun playing her [Ling],
but I have this fear that people are going to run away from me in
terror on the streets. They think I'm going to bite their heads off
or something."
"I'm so proud of my heritage, but yes, I think there's always a
danger when people put you on a pedestal. Especially when you're
just trying to live your life and pursue your dreams. The intention
is not to represent Asian Americans, but to be an Asian American who
is working as an actress. People often confuse the two. When you are
"representing," you have the burden of some people projecting their
hopes onto you. This can eventually lead to a certain amount of
disappointment. I strive to not deny myself experiences that open up
to me. I hope to live without looking back in regret. If people want
to join me on the ride, then I'm happy to have them along."
"Martial arts are art forms and require a great deal of discipline
and dedication. I so admire people who focus their lives on it,
because it's not an easy thing to do."
"Producing is like pushing jello up a hill on a hot day."
"I’ve been asked in interviews to whip people or slap them. I get
sick of hearing it! I’m like, ‘All right, fine. You want me to slap
you, I’ll slap you.’ And they love it!"
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Lucy Liu - Filmography |
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Charlie Chan (2009)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) (voice) .... Master Viper
Rockett (2007) .... Anne
Watching the Detectives (2007) .... Violet
Rise (2007) .... Sadie Blake
"Ugly Betty" .... Grace Chin (2 episodes, 2007)
- Icing on the Cake (2007) TV Episode .... Grace Chin
- Derailed (2007) TV Episode .... Grace Chin
Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) .... Gina
"Cashmere Mafia" .... Mia Mason (7 episodes)
- Episode #1.1 (????) TV Episode .... Mia Mason
- Episode #1.2 (????) TV Episode .... Mia Mason
- Episode #1.3 (????) TV Episode .... Mia Mason
- Episode #1.4 (????) TV Episode .... Mia Mason
- Episode #1.5 (????) TV Episode .... Mia Mason
(2 more)
Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut (2006) (V) .... Pearl
Lucky Number Slevin (2006) .... Lindsey
... aka Lucky # Slevin (USA: DVD box title)
... aka Lucky Number S7evin (USA: poster title)
... aka The Wrong Man (Australia)
Domino (2005) .... Taryn Miles
3 Needles (2005) .... Jin Ping, the Blood Smuggler
"Jackie Chan Adventures" .... Adult Jade / ... (2 episodes,
2004-2005)
- J2 Revised (2005) TV Episode (voice) .... Future Jade
- J2: Rise of the Dragons (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Adult Jade
"The Simpsons" .... Madam Wu (1 episode, 2005)
- Goo Goo Gai Pan (2005) TV Episode (voice) .... Madam Wu
"Joey" .... Lauren Beck (3 episodes, 2004-2005)
- Joey and the Premiere (2005) TV Episode .... Lauren Beck
- Joey and the Taste Test (2005) TV Episode .... Lauren Beck
- Joey and the Plot Twist (2004) TV Episode .... Lauren Beck
Mulan II (2004) (V) (voice) .... Mei
"Maya & Miguel" .... Maggie Lee (9 episodes, 2004)
- Rhymes with Gato (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Maggie Lee
- Mala suerte (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Maggie Lee
- After School (????) TV Episode .... Maggie Lee
- A Little Culture (????) TV Episode .... Maggie Lee
- Chrissy's Big Move (????) TV Episode (voice) .... Maggie Lee
(4 more)
"Game Over" (2004) TV Series (voice) .... Raquel Smashenburn
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) .... O-Ren Ishii
... aka Kill Bill (USA: informal short title)
... aka Kill Bill 1 (USA: informal title)
... aka Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume One (USA: promotional
title)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) .... Alex Munday
Chicago (2002) .... Kitty Baxter
... aka Chicago (Germany)
"King of the Hill" .... Tid Pao (1 episode, 2002)
- Bad Girls, Bad Girls Whatcha Gonna Do (2002) TV Episode (voice)
.... Tid Pao
Cypher (2002) .... Rita Foster
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002) .... Agent Sever
... aka Ballistic (Germany)
"Ally McBeal" .... Ling Woo (36 episodes, 1998-2002)
- Woman (2002) TV Episode .... Ling Woo
- Nine One One (2001) TV Episode .... Ling Woo
- I Want Love (2001) TV Episode .... Ling Woo
- Fear of Flirting (2001) TV Episode .... Ling Woo
- Neutral Corners (2001) TV Episode .... Ling Woo
(31 more)
SSX Tricky (2001) (VG) (voice) .... Elise Riggs
Hotel (2001) .... Kawika
Charlie's Angels (2000) .... Alex Munday
... aka 3 Engel für Charlie (Germany)
Shanghai Noon (2000) .... Princess Pei Pei
Play It to the Bone (1999) .... Lia
... aka Play It (USA: promotional title)
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999) .... The Female's
Friend (Lydia)
Molly (1999) .... Brenda
True Crime (1999) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Toy Shop Girl
Payback (1999/I) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Pearl
Love Kills (1998) .... Kashi
Guy (1997) (as Lucy Lui) .... Woman at newsstand
"Michael Hayes" .... Alice Woo (1 episode, 1997)
- Slaves (1997) TV Episode .... Alice Woo
"Dellaventura" .... Yuling Chong (1 episode, 1997)
- Pilot (1997) TV Episode .... Yuling Chong
"Pearl" .... Amy Li (7 episodes, 1996-1997)
- My So-Called Real Life (1997) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) ....
Amy Li
- Mission ImPearlsible (1997) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) ....
Amy Li
- Power Play (1997) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Amy Li
- Christmas Daze (1996) TV Episode .... Amy Li
- Lessons in Love (1996) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Amy Li
(2 more)
City of Industry (1997) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Cathi Rose
Riot (1997) (TV) .... Boomer's Girlfriend (segment "Empty")
... aka Riot in the Streets (video title)
"NYPD Blue" .... Amy Chu (1 episode, 1997)
- A Wrenching Experience (1997) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) ....
Amy Chu
"The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" .... Melana (2 episodes, 1997)
... aka Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures
- Night of the Zinja (1997) TV Episode (voice) (as Lucy Alexis Liu)
.... Melana
- The Bangalore Falcon (1997) TV Episode (voice) (as Lucy Alexis
Liu) .... Melana
Gridlock'd (1997) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Cee-Cee
Flypaper (1997) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Dot
Jerry Maguire (1996) (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Former Girlfriend
"High Incident" .... Officer Whin (2 episodes, 1996)
- Follow the Leader (1996) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) ....
Officer Whin
- Father Knows Best (1996) TV Episode .... Officer Whin
"The X Files" .... Kim Hsin (1 episode, 1996)
... aka The X-Files (USA)
- Hell Money (1996) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Kim Hsin
"Nash Bridges" .... Joy Powell (1 episode, 1996)
... aka Bridges
- Genesis (1996) TV Episode .... Joy Powell
"ER" .... Mei-Sun Leow (3 episodes, 1995)
- And Baby Makes Two (1995) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) ....
Mei-Sun Leow
- What Life? (1995) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu) .... Mei-Sun
Leow
- Do One, Teach One, Kill One (1995) TV Episode (as Lucy Alexis Liu)
.... Mei-Sun Leow
Bang (1995) (as Lucy Lui) .... Hooker
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" .... Oi-Lan (1 episode, 1995)
- The March to Freedom (1995) TV Episode .... Oi-Lan
"Home Improvement" .... Woman #3 (1 episode, 1995)
- Bachelor of the Year (1995) TV Episode .... Woman #3
"Coach" .... Nicole Wong (2 episodes, 1994)
- Out of Control (1994) TV Episode .... Nicole Wong
- It Should Happen to You (1994) TV Episode .... Nicole Wong
"Hotel Malibu" .... Co-Worker (1 episode, 1994)
- Do Not Disturb (1994) TV Episode .... Co-Worker
"L.A. Law" .... Mai Lin (1 episode, 1993)
- Foreign Co-respondent (1993) TV Episode .... Mai Lin
Protozoa (1993) .... Ari
Ban wo zong heng (1992) .... Donna
... aka Rhythm of Destiny
"Beverly Hills, 90210" .... Courtney (1 episode, 1991)
- Pass, Not Pass (1991) TV Episode .... Courtney |
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Lucy Liu - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Lucy Liu
YouTube: Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu at Celebs, Inc.
Lucy Liu at Babemania.com
Top Celebrities Sites:
The Celebrity
Cafe |
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