Name: Lucy Liu

Birth Name: Lucy Alexis Liu

Birthdate: Dec. 2, 1968

Birthplace: Queens, New York

Born to Chinese immigrants and raised in an Italian neighborhood in Queens, Lucy Liu's interest in acting started after landing the lead role in her high school play Alice in Wonderland. She moved to Los Angeles to go pro, and her lucky break came in 1997 when she got a small part in Ally McBeal, playing razor-tongued Ling; she stole the show, and her role was expanded. Since then, the actress who staunchly insists she doesn't want to only play stereotypically Asian roles has rocketed to stardom as a member of the Charlie's Angels crime-fighting trio, the dominatrix in Payback and the butt-kicking O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill: Vol. 1.


1. She was awarded a grant to study art in China and has exhibited her mixed-media (photography, painting, ceramics, collage) work at galleries in SoHo and Venice, Calif.
2. Lucy was often mistaken for a boy as a child as she was a small and thin and her mother kept her hair short.
3. She initially auditioned for the role of Nelle on Ally, that went to Portia de Rossi, but producer David E. Kelley liked Lucy enough to create a role for her.
4. She is described by friends as "fearless," with hobbies that include skiing and snowboarding, rappelling, horseback riding and martial arts; she also plays the accordion.
5. She was once an aerobics instructor.

"I was such a shy kid. I would disappear into the background. I had to learn that I could speak out and lightning wouldn't strike me. Then I found acting and there was no shutting me up!
— Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 9, 2000

 

FILMS

Kung Fu Panda - (2008) - Voice
Code Name: The Cleaner - (2007) - Actor
Rise: Blood Hunter - (2007) - Actor
Maya & Miguel - Cinco de Maya - (2006) - Actor
Lucky Number Slevin - (2006) - Actor
Maya & Miguel - Twice the Fun - (2005) - Voice
Maya & Miguel - Funny Fix-Ups - (2005) - Voice
Domino - (2005) - Actor
Game Over - The Complete Collection - (2004) - Actor
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - (2003) - Actor
Hotel - (2003) - Actor
Kill Bill, Volume 1 - (2003) - Actor
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever - (2002) - Actor
Chicago - (2002) - Actor
Cypher - (2002) - Actor
Shanghai Noon - (2000) - Actor
Charlie's Angels - (2000) - Actor
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human - (1999) - Actor
Play It to the Bone - (1999) - Actor
Molly - (1999) - Actor
Love Kills - (1999) - Actor
City of Industry - (1997) - Actor
Flypaper - (1997) - Actor