Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress who was born in Queens but has Chinese roots. The girl spoke Chinese until she was five years old, then began to actively learn English. Lucy grew up as an ordinary child. After graduating from high school, Lucy entered the university, where she was accepted into a sorority. But her life changed dramatically when one day a movie agent saw a girl with a bright Asian appearance in the subway. From that moment on, Lucy Liu started acting in commercials, acting on stage, and only then reached the majestic Hollywood. Some of the most famous films where Lucy starred are Kill Bill and Charlie’s Angels. In one of her latest TV series Elementary, she played Dr. Joan Watson. Queenska will tell you more.
Lucy Liu’s childhood
In 1968, the future star Lucy Liu was born in a Queens hospital. Her parents, Cecilia and Tom Liu, were also born in New York. Her grandparents (Tom Liu’s parents) were immigrants from China. Lucy’s grandfather first emigrated from Shanghai to Taiwan, where he met his wife (Lucy’s grandmother), who also came to Taiwan from Beijing. Then they came to New York together, where they settled.
The girl was not raised exclusively in Chinese traditions, but she spoke only Chinese until she was five years old. Growing up in Queens, where there were many nationalities, the girl did not stand out much, as she quickly learned English.
After graduating from Queens High School, Lucy went to university in New York City. Later, she transferred to Michigan to study Asian culture.
Starting her career
Lucy attended a theater class at the university, but she never dreamed of becoming an actress. One day, like in a fairy tale, she was spotted in the subway by a talent agent. This meeting ended with a commercial for 19-year-old Lucy.
At the age of 21, Lucy was planning to play a supporting role in a university production of Alice in Wonderland, but miraculously auditioned for one of the main roles. She had always thought that there were too few Asian roles, so she was unlikely to become popular. But she was wrong, because after numerous filming sessions, she played Dr. Watson… but more on that later.
Lucy made her first serious theatrical debut on the New York stage in the film Fairy Bones in 1992.
A breakthrough in Lucy Liu’s career
Liu’s breakthrough in her career was playing in the legendary movie Charlie’s Angels in 2000. Lucy’s co-stars were Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz.
Before the movie was released, Lucy starred in a sitcom where a character was created specifically for her. She also played cameo roles in movies. She starred in the TV series Joey with Matt LeBlanc.
Another Oscar-winning film in which Lucy appeared was Kill Bill.
The most recent and extremely popular TV series where she played is Elementary, based on Sherlock Holmes. There she played Dr. Joan Watson. Critics and fans highly appreciated Lucy’s performance in the series. She was nominated three times for the People’s Choice Awards for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actress.
Charity and the fight for human rights
Lucy Liu has always been concerned about health issues. That is why she became an ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. The actress visited third world countries and regularly volunteered. She spoke at official events on human trafficking. Lucy Liu is in favor of same-sex marriages and constantly advocates for them. In 2011 she became a member of the Human Rights Campaign.
In addition to her acting talent, Lucy is also a photographer and painter. She exhibited her works under the pseudonym Yu Ling. She created collages using mixed techniques and organized exhibitions. The woman donated part of the proceeds from the sale of her works to charity and transferred them to UNICEF.
Lucy Liu’s motherhood
Lucy never met the right person in her life. A surrogate mother gave birth to her son.
It was the best decision for Lucy, because she worked hard and was not going to stop. An interesting fact from Lucy Liu’s life is that she has been a vegetarian since childhood.