Thursday Three with Lucy Liu

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage month, so we’re spotlighting some of our favorite women on TV with that heritage. You can read all the entries in the series here.

Lucy Liu is one of those actors who has a steady career, showcasing her talents across multiple platforms, but makes it all look so effortless, we forget just how skilled she is at her job.

Lucy’s parents are Chinese natives who met after emigrating to New York City. Lucy studied at New York University before transferring to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Asian languages and cultures and is fluent in Mandarin. 

Lucy turned her attention to acting while she was in college, landing the lead role in UM’s production of Alice in Wonderland. After being discovered in New York City at age 21, she performed on stage and in commercials, had small parts on television and movies, then came her big break.

Ally McBeal

This is where most of us were probably introduced to Lucy. She played Ling Woo, a vicious, ill-tempered co-worker at Ally’s law firm. Lucy originally auditioned for the role of Nell Porter which ended up going to Portia de Rossi. But producers liked what they saw from Lucy, so they wrote the character of Ling specifically for her. Originally meant to be a short-term recurring role, Lucy’s performance was such a hit with viewers, she was made a series regular. She went on to she win an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

Cashmere Mafia

Fun fact: I used to have a fan site dedicated to Cashmere Mafia. Lucy was the main draw, but the whole cast was strong. The show followed four women who met in business school and remained fast friends. Set in New York, the show chronicled their quest to balance ambitious professional lives with rewarding personal lives. It was supposed to be the new Sex and the City. Unfortunately, the show didn’t catch on and was canceled after just seven episodes.

Elementary

Lucy is currently the co-lead – and five-time director – of this modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation airing on CBS. In a gender-bending role that caused some controversy with the show premiere, she plays Sherlock’s partner in detection, Dr. Joan Watson. A former surgeon turned detective, Joan is the perfect person to counteract Sherlock’s self-destructive ways. They make such a good team, critical and viewer response has kept the show on the air for six seasons with a seventh already ordered for 2018-2019. 

Keep up with Lucy on Twitter and Instagram.