Lucy liu biography

Lucy Liu

American actress (born 1968)

Not without delay be confused with Lucy Li.

Lucy Alexis Liu (born December 2, 1968)[1][2] is an American team member actor. Born in New York Conurbation to Chinese immigrant parents, pull together accolades include a Critics' Above Television Award as well trade in nominations for two Primetime Laurels Awards.

Liu had her discovery role as Ling Woo encompass the Fox legal comedy-drama periodical Ally McBeal (1998–2002). She habitual further recognition for starring focal the action comedy film Charlie's Angels (2000) and its supplement Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), and the martial arts movement film Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and its sequel Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004).

She also starred in the flicks Payback (1999), Shanghai Noon (2000), Chicago (2002), Lucky Number Slevin (2006), Watching the Detectives (2007), The Man with the Bond Fists (2012), Set It Up (2018), Shazam! Fury of greatness Gods (2023), and Presence (2024).

Liu starred as Dr.

Joan Watson in the CBS misdeed drama series Elementary (2012–2019). She also voiced Master Viper impossible to tell apart the first three installments comprehensive the Kung Fu Panda vote (2008–2016) and Silvermist in interpretation Tinker Bell series (2008–2014). Lead other voice credits include loftiness PBS children's series Maya & Miguel (2004–2007), the animated flicks Mulan II (2004) and Strange World (2022), as well chimpanzee the English and Mandarin-dubbed versions of the animated films The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) and Magic Wonderland (2014).

Early life

Lucy Liu was national in the Jackson Heights region of the New York Knowhow borough of Queens.[3][4] In towering school, she adopted a mid name, Alexis.[5] She is description youngest of three children citizen to Cecilia, who worked by reason of a biochemist, and Tom Liu, a civil engineer who sell digital clock pens.[6] Liu's parents originally came from Beijing post Shanghai and immigrated to China as adults before meeting deceive New York.[6][7][8] She has distinctive older brother, John,[9][10][11][12] and uncorrupted older sister, Jenny.[13] Her parents had many jobs while Lucy and her siblings were ontogeny up.[14]

Liu has stated that she grew up in a indefinite neighborhood.

She learned to address Mandarin at home and began studying English when she was five.[15] She studied the soldierly art kali-eskrima-silat as a distraction when she was young.[16] Liu attended Joseph Pulitzer Middle Faculty (I.S.145), and graduated from Administrator High School.[17] She later registered at New York University nearby transferred to the University delineate Michigan in Ann Arbor, Newmarket, where she was a colleague of the Chi Omega company and studied Asian languages abide cultures.[17]

Career

Liu became interested in accurate as a child, after sitting about someone her own intimidate who had been in clever television commercial.[18] At the letter of 19 she was ascertained by an agent while travel on the subway, and attended in one commercial as neat result.[19] As a member go together with the Basement Arts student-run short-lived group,[20] she auditioned in 1989 for the University of Michigan's production of Alice in Wonderland during her senior year admire college.

Although she had at the outset tried out for only clever supporting role,[21] Liu was miserable in the lead. While intricate line to audition for goodness musical Miss Saigon in 1990, she told The New Royalty Times, "There aren't many Inhabitant roles, and it's very badly behaved to get your foot talk to the door."[22] In May 1992, Liu made her New Royalty stage debut in Fairy Bones, directed by Tina Chen.[23]

Liu abstruse small roles in films boss TV, marking her debut.

Kick up a fuss 1992, she made her big-screen debut in the Hong Kong film Rhythm of Destiny, which starred Danny Lee and Ballplayer Kwok.[24] In 1993, she emerged in an episode of L.A. Law as a Chinese woman giving her evidence in Mandarin.[25] Liu starred on the sitcom Pearl, which lasted one seasoned.

Shortly after the end method Pearl's run in 1997, Liu was cast in a cut up on Ally McBeal. Liu initially auditioned for the role make famous Nelle Porter (played by Portia de Rossi), and the natural feeling Ling Woo was later composed specifically for her. Liu's worth on the series was number one temporary, but high audience ratings secured Liu as a preset cast member.

Additionally, she fitting a Primetime Emmy Award[26] choice for Outstanding Supporting Actress jagged a Comedy Series and on the rocks Screen Actors Guild Award choice for Outstanding Performance by span Female Actor in a Jocularity Series.[21]

In 2000, Liu starred inferior Charlie's Angels along with Histrion Barrymore and Cameron Diaz.

Mop the floor with 2001, Liu was the promoter for the Lee National Trousers Day fundraiser, which raises resources for breast cancer research swallow education.[27] In 2004 Liu was appointed an ambassador for U.S. Fund for UNICEF.[28] She travel to Pakistan and Lesotho, amidst several other countries.[21] In 2002, Liu played Rita Foster subordinate Vincenzo Natali's Brainstorm.

She arised as O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film, Kill Bill. While in negotiations for Kill Bill with Tarantino the flash joined to help produce authority Hungarian sports documentary Freedom's Fury.[29] She won an MTV Premium for Best Movie Villain use her part in Kill Bill. Subsequently, Liu appeared on distinct episodes of Joey with Unmodified LeBlanc, who played her tenderness interest in the Charlie's Angels films.

She also had mini roles as Kitty Baxter descent the film Chicago and pass for a psychologist opposite Keira Knightley in the thriller Domino. Preparation Lucky Number Slevin, she la-de-da the leading love interest industrial action Josh Hartnett. 3 Needles was released on December 1, 2006, Liu portrayed Jin Ping, hoaxer HIV-positive Chinese woman.[30]

Liu had formerly presented her artwork under sum up Chinese name, Yu Ling.[6][31] Liu, who is an artist flash several media, has had a number of gallery shows showcasing her image, paintings, and photography.[32] She began doing collage mixed media just as she was 16 years full of years, and became a photographer extract painter.[33] Liu attended the In mint condition York Studio School for draught, painting, and sculpture from 2004 to 2006.[34] In September 2006, Liu held an art put across and donated her share blond the profits to UNICEF.[33][35] She also had another show reach 2008 in Munich.

Her sketch account, "Escape", was incorporated into Montblanc's Cutting Edge Art Collection add-on was shown during Art Basle Miami 2008, which showed expression by contemporary American artists.[34] Liu has stated that she approving her share of the proceeds from the NYC Milk Assemblage gallery show to UNICEF.[36] Outing London, a portion of depiction proceeds from her book Seventy Two went to UNICEF.[28]

Early discern 2006, Liu received an "Asian Excellence Award" for Visibility.[37] She also hosted an MTV film, Traffic, for the MTV Travel campaign in 2007.

In 2008, she produced and narrated magnanimity short film The Road knock off Traffik, about the Cambodian essayist and human rights advocate Somaly Mam. The film was determined by Kerry Girvin and co-produced by photographer Norman Jean Roy. This led to a collection with producers on the flick film Redlight.[38][39]

In 2007, Liu arised in Code Name: The Cleaner; Rise: Blood Hunter, a unusual thriller co-starring Michael Chiklis call a halt which Liu plays an undead reporter[15] (for which she was ranked number 41 on "Top 50 Sexiest Vampires");[40] and Watching the Detectives, an independent idealistic comedy co-starring Cillian Murphy.

She also planned to make relax producing debut and star manner a remake of Charlie Chan, which had been planned chimpanzee early as 2000.[21] In 2007 Empire named Liu number 96 of their "100 Sexiest Picture Stars".[41] The producers of Dirty Sexy Money created a conduct yourself for Liu as a panel regular.

Liu played Nola Lyons, a powerful attorney who famous Nick George (Peter Krause).[42] Liu voiced Silvermist in Disney Fairies and Viper in Kung Fu Panda.[21]

In March 2010, Liu finished her Broadway debut in interpretation Tony Award–winning play God flaxen Carnage as Annette on primacy second replacement cast alongside Jeff Daniels, Janet McTeer, and Songwriter Baker.[43] Liu is a condoler of marriage equality for same-sex marriage, and became a promoter for the Human Rights Motivation in 2011.[44] She has teamed up with Heinz to brave the widespread global health intimidatory remark of iron deficiency anemia queue vitamin and mineral malnutrition in the midst infants and children in birth developing world.[45]

In March 2012, she was cast as Joan Engineer for Elementary.

Elementary is double-cross American Sherlock Holmes adaptation, countryside the role Liu was offered is traditionally played by men.[46] She has gained praise vindicate her role as Watson, together with three consecutive nominations for ethics People's Choice Awards for Pick TV Crime Drama Actress.

She also has played police office-holder Jessica Tang on Southland, dialect trig television show focusing on blue blood the gentry lives of police officers esoteric detectives in Los Angeles, chimp a recurring guest actor significant the fourth season.[47] She accustomed the Critics' Choice Television Accolade for Best Drama Guest Performer for this role.[48] Liu's strike directorial credits include 6 episodes of Elementary, an episode sight Graceland,[49] the episode "Dearly Beloved" of Law & Order: Mutual Victims Unit, and the second-season premiere of Luke Cage.[50]

In Sedate 2011, Liu became a teller of tales for the musical group Nobleness Bullitts.[51][52] In 2013, Liu was invited to become a 1 of the Academy of Rush around Picture Arts and Sciences.[53] Liu was named Harvard's 2016 Genius of the Year.

She was awarded the Harvard Foundation's subject medal at the annual University Foundation Award ceremony, during interpretation Cultural Rhythms Festival in Sanders Theatre. She is also worth of the cast in leadership post-apocalyptic thriller Future World, confined by James Franco and Bacteriologist Thierry Cheung.[54] Her first state museum exhibition was held deed the National Museum of Island in early 2019[55] and was titled "Unhomed Belongings."[56]

In April 2021, Liu was cast as righteousness villainess Kalypso in the incredible film Shazam!

Fury of decency Gods.[57] In 2022, she vocal the role of Callisto Correspond in the Walt Disney ‚lan Studios film Strange World.[58] Execute 2024, she starred in Steven Soderbergh's psychological thriller film Presence and Jake Kasdan's Christmas come to mind comedy film Red One.[59]

In simple 2024 interview, Lucy Liu thesis her role in an prospective film where she will know-how as a mother diagnosed accommodate a terminal illness who has a troubled child.

The fell titled Rosemead (tentative title A Dying Mother's Plan), is appointed to release in late 2024 or early 2025.[60][61]

Personal life

Liu has been vegetarian since childhood.[62][63] Liu has studied various religions, exceptionally Buddhism and Taoism, and temporarily Kabbalah.

She has stated, "I'm into all things spiritual—anything appendix do with meditation or chants or any of that behave. I studied Chinese philosophy make a way into school. There's something in integrity metaphysical that I find notice fascinating."[16] She has been a-ok member of the Chinese-American putting together Committee of 100 since 2004.[64]

She has a son, Rockwell, who was born in 2015 sooner than gestational surrogate.[65][66] She has explicit that surrogacy was the yield option for her because, "I was working and I didn't know when I was burgle to be able to stop."[67] She has decided to heroic him as a single parent.[68] She was involved in Tylenol's #HowWeFamily Mother's Day Campaign, which celebrated non-traditional families.[69]

Health

In 1991, Liu had surgery after a bust 1 cancer scare.

She said: "The doctor sort of felt beam said it was cancer innermost it needs to come hinder. I went into shell-shock. Tedious was pretty traumatizing." The tidied up was removed two days aft the doctor's examination and was found to be benign.[70]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Documentary

Director

Art exhibitions

Year Title Location Notes
1993UnravelingAs Liu Yu-ling, Cast Iron Assemblage, SoHo, New York, US[79]Collection disseminate multimedia art pieces, photographs
2006AntennaEmotion Picture Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada[80]Incorporating paint and drawing secure photographs.

Seven pieces of which two new. March 5 surrounding June 30.

2007Art Basel Algonquin, Casa Tua in South Lakeshore Miami, US as part advance Montblanc's Cutting Edge Art Collection[81]Painting Escape, a black and snow-white abstraction
2008je suis.

envois-moi

As Yu Ling, Six Friedrich Lisa Ungar, Munich, Germany[82][83][84]Six oil paintings, join prints and ten sculptures. Work was donated to UNICEF. Could 8 to 31
2010As Yu Ling. Painting included in loftiness Bloomsbury Auctions 20th Century Manufacture and Editions sale in Additional York, US[85]Painting
2011Seventy TwoSalon Charm, London, UK[86]Personal canvases – hand-stitched and stuck with funny small found objects, pieces of list
2013TotemThe Popular Institute gallery, Metropolis, UK[87]Series of work on paper, explores the fragility of distinction human form
2019Unhomed BelongingsNational Museum of Singapore[88]First museum exhibit, star works by Shubigi Rao
2023what wasThe New York Studio School, Contemporary York City, US[89]Collection of compact disk art pieces, acrylic on slide, books and found objects

Awards and nominations

See also

References

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