Lucy Liu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucy Liu
Liu at the 2025 Tribeca Festival
Born	Lucy Alexis Liu (1968-12-02) December 2, 1968 (age 56) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan New York Studio School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Children	1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	劉玉玲
Simplified Chinese	刘玉玲
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Yùlíng

Lucy Alexis Liu (born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, producer, and artist. She is known as a pioneer for Asian American actors in Hollywood. Liu has won many awards, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

She is famous for helping to change how people see beauty in mainstream culture. In 2019, Liu became only the second Asian American woman to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Liu became well-known for playing Ling Woo in the TV show Ally McBeal (1998–2002). She gained more fame from starring in the action-comedy movie Charlie's Angels (2000) and its sequel in 2003. She also starred in the martial arts film Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003).

Some of her other famous movies include Shanghai Noon (2000), Chicago (2002), Set It Up (2018), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).

From 2012 to 2019, Liu starred as Dr. Joan Watson in the crime drama series Elementary. She is also known for her voice work. She voiced Master Viper in the Kung Fu Panda movies and Silvermist in the Tinker Bell series.

Early Life and Education

Liu as a high school senior in 1986

Lucy Liu was born in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York City. She is the youngest of three children. Her mother, Cecilia, was a biochemist, and her father, Tom, was a civil engineer.

Liu's parents came from Beijing and Shanghai. They moved to Taiwan before meeting in New York. Liu grew up speaking Mandarin at home and learned English when she was five years old. As a hobby, she studied the martial art kali-eskrima-silat.

She went to Stuyvesant High School. After high school, she attended New York University before transferring to the University of Michigan. There, she studied Asian languages and cultures.

Acting Career

Breakthrough Roles

Liu became interested in acting when she was a teenager. An agent discovered her on the subway when she was 19, which led to her first commercial. In her senior year of college, she tried out for a play, Alice in Wonderland, and got the lead role.

After college, Liu had small parts in TV shows and movies. Her big break came in 1997 when she was cast in the TV series Ally McBeal. She first tried out for a different character, but the writers created the role of Ling Woo just for her. Her character was so popular with audiences that she became a permanent member of the cast. This role earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

Movie Stardom

Liu speaking at the USAID Human Trafficking Symposium in September 2009

In 2000, Liu starred as Alex Munday in Charlie's Angels with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. The movie was a huge success and made her an international star. In 2003, she played the villain O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill: Volume 1. For this role, she won an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.

She also appeared in the hit musical film Chicago and the action-comedy Shanghai Noon.

Television and Voice Work

Liu at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2012, Liu took on the role of Dr. Joan Watson in the TV series Elementary. This show was a modern version of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Her character, Watson, is usually played by a man, so her casting was a fresh take on the classic story. She received a lot of praise for her performance.

Liu is also a talented voice actress. She voiced Master Viper in the popular animated movie series Kung Fu Panda. She was also the voice of Silvermist in the Tinker Bell movies. Her voice work also includes the Disney animated films Mulan II and Strange World.

Art and Charity Work

Besides acting, Liu is a talented visual artist. She creates collages, paintings, and photographs. She has shown her art in galleries around the world. She often uses her Chinese name, Yu Ling, for her artwork. Liu donates the money she makes from her art to charities like UNICEF.

In 2004, Liu became an ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She has traveled to countries like Pakistan and Lesotho to help children. She has also worked on documentaries to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Personal Life

Liu in 2024

Liu has studied various religions, including Buddhism and Taoism. She is interested in spirituality and meditation.

In 2015, Liu had a son named Rockwell, who was born through a gestational surrogate. A gestational surrogate is a woman who carries a baby for someone else. Liu is raising her son as a single parent. She has spoken about the importance of celebrating all types of families.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Lucy Liu para niños

• Chinese Americans in New York City