Lucy Liu talks fame, art and standing up for herself

Growing up in Queens, N.Y., Lucy Liu felt like she was from another planet — until she found the arts. But when the fiercely independent daughter of Chinese immigrants set her sights on acting, she was told repeatedly she wouldn’t make it in Hollywood, where opportunities for Asian American talent were scant.

Now she’s a household name.

In this crossover episode with The Los Angeles Times’ “Asian Enough” podcast, the actor talks about how her memorable roles — including Ling Woo on “Ally McBeal” and O-Ren Ishii in the “Kill Bill” movies — helped move the needle on Asian representation in Hollywood. Liu also discusses why she had to stand up to Bill Murray on the set of “Charlie’s Angels” and her feelings about the Destiny’s Child song that name-drops her.

More reading: Lucy Liu gets personal on fame, art and standing up for herself on the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ set