It was during Liu’s college years at U of M that she became interested in acting, dancing, and singing. Her first acting experience was in a university stage production of “Alice in Wonderland” in which she played the lead character Alice. But during the early eighties, Liu was not only getting onto the stage, she was also getting into the paints and taking a interest in the fine arts. Her artwork was a unique mix of media photography, ceramics, paints, and wood collages. Her creations first began appearing at the Cast Iron Gallery in SoHo and later, at galleries in cities such as Venice, CA. In 1993, Liu even received an art grant, to study in China.

Believe it or not, Liu also has a slew of other talents. Aside from being an actress, artist, and fluent speaker of Mandarin, she also practices the Indonesian martial art of Kali-Eskrima-Silat. And just when you thought that was all, she can also play a few tunes on the accordion!

But it was Liu’s love for the art of acting that eventually led her to the big and little screens of film and television. Her television credits include appearances on shows like “Coach”, “Beverly Hills 90210,” and the more recent, “ER,” “NYPD Blue,” and “LA Law.” In 1997, Liu became a regular on the popular primetime show “Ally McBeal” where she played icy lawyer Ling Woo. Liu originally auditioned for the part of Nelle Porter but was denied the spot. However, producer David E. Kelly was so impressed by her acting that he created a character especially for her. Acquiring the role of the angry Ling Woo, however, did not come without a price.

In reference to the Ally McBeal character, Liu actually stated, “It’s so much fun playing her, but I have this fear that people are going to run away from me in terror on the streets. They think I’m going to bit their heads off or something.”

Liu’s big screen credits include Asian films like “Rhythm of Destiny” (Hong Kong, 1992) where she played a lead role, as well as popular American films such as “Jerry McGuire” (1996) where she played a small role, “Charlie’s Angels” (2000) where she played one of the main characters, Alex, and the recent academy award winning “Chicago,” where she played a small role as a jailbird.

Proof of Liu’s hard work can also be seen in her growing list of awards and nominations. For her role as Ling on “Ally McBeal,” Liu was nominated for an Emmy and won a group award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series” from the Screen Actors Guild. In 1999, Liu was also named one of the sexiest women on television by Entertainment Weekly. In 2000, Liu won an Ammy (Asian-American Film Award) for her part in “Shanghai Noon.” Finally, Liu and the other angels, Cameron and Drew, won for “Best On-Screen Team” in “Charlie’s Angels” at the 2001 MTV Movie Awards.

In the sequel to the original film, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” the fabulous trio are expected to once again make a huge splash at the box office. Two million fans have already checked out an animated version of the upcoming film at www.animatedangels.com, where a new animated episode will be shown every Tuesday until opening day, June 17.

The original cast of “Charlie’s Angels” will be returning for the sequel, except however, for actor Bill Murray. During the filming of the first movie, an argument between Liu and Murray over a scene actually caused the set to shut down filming for an entire day. After the incident, but reportedly not because of it, Murray decided to turn down his role in the sequel. In the new movie, Murray’s character is replaced by Thandie Newton.

In response to the media frenzy following the incident, Liu replied in the October 28 issue of TV Guide, "The rumors started going crazy that I swung at him. This guy is like 6-foot-2. I wasn't going to pull out kung fu on him."

Also rumored is a third “Charlie’s Angels” in the works. In the movie, Liu is expected to return again as angel Alex. Still, even without “Charlie’s Angels,” it’s just the beginning for Liu who already has a long list of other projects in the making. And from what we’ve seen so far, we’re sure to expect great things ahead. As an artist, actress, and one of our big screen angels, Lucy Liu has definitely got it all. And we love her for it.

May 30, 2003