Lucy Liu was born on December 2, 1968 in New York City and was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. She only learned English when she was five, as her parents were Chinese immigrants. Her father was a civil engineer and her mother was a biochemist. She was educated at New York University and the University of Michigan where she graduated with a degree in Asian Languages and Cultures. Liu began acting in 1989, auditioning for a role in their school’s production of Alice in Wonderland. She was cast as the lead even though she only tried out for a supporting role.

Lucy Liu had small television appearances, appearing in The X-Files and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before she gained success in Ally McBeal. Her role as the feisty Ling Woo earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In 1999, Liu was cast as a sadistic hit woman in the movie Payback. Even more success came to her when she was cast for the role of Alex in Charlie's Angels and its blockbuster sequel Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. For her role as O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Lucy Liu received an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. Her other films include 3 Needles, Code Name: The Cleaner, and Watching the Detectives. In 2006, she was given a role in Lucky Number Slevin opposite Josh Hartnett. She also voiced the character Viper in the hit animated film Kung Fu Panda. Liu was also a guest star in the sitcom Ugly Betty, and stars as one of the lead characters in the show Cashmere Mafia. There she plays Mia Manson, a successful publisher. She is joined in the cast by Frances O’ Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville. Lucy Liu was named one of Empire magazine’s “100 Sexiest Movie Stars” in 2007.


(Photo courtesy of ABC)