Lucy Alexis Liu was born on 2 December 1968, in Queens, New York USA, to Chinese-born parents, and is an actress, film producer, model, photographer, painter and voice actress, probably still best known for her portrayal of the character Ling Woo in the TV popular series “Ally McBeal” around the turn of the century.
How rich is Lucy Liu? Sources state that as of 2015 Lucy Liu’s net worth is estimated to be $16 million, Lucy having gathered the majority of her wealth through her successful career as an actress, which began in the late 1980s.
Lucy Liu Net Worth $16 Million
Lucy Liu was educated at Stuyvesant High School, before studying at New York University, but finally earning her BA degree in Asian languages – she speaks six languages – at the University of Michigan, where she was discovered by an agent, and appeared in one commercial. She then auditioned for a supporting role in the University of Michigan’s production of “Alice in Wonderland”, but eventually was cast to play a leading role. Liu subsequently landed several roles in such series as “The X-Files” with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” with Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst. In 1998, Lucy Liu was cast in the comedy-drama television series “Ally McBeal”. At first considered to be only a temporary guest actress, Lucy Liu secured herself a permanent position in the show due to high audience ratings. For her role as Ling Woo, Lucy Liu was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.This show added considerably to Lucy’s net worth.
Even though Lucy Liu had already been publicly recognized, it was the role of Alex Munday in McG’s action comedy film “Charlie’s Angels” that became a peak of Liu’s career. The movie, starring Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, earned more than $125 million in the United States, and a total of $264 million worldwide. The sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” was just as successful, earning $100 million in the US, and $259 million worldwide. This role helped Lucy Liu reach a wider audience, gain more recognition, and increase her net worth significantly.
During her following career, Lucy Liu has appeared in a variety of television series, as well as movies, including “King of the Hill”, “Game Over”, Rob Marshall’s “Chicago” with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, “Detachment”, and “Secret of the Wings”. All contributed steadily to the growth of Lucy’s net worth. Currently, Lucy Liu stars as Joan Watson in an American crime drama series “Elementary” with Jonny Lee Miller and Aidan Quinn. The show has been well received by critics and the audience, and has already won many awards, such as Prism Awards, Seoul International Drama Awards, and Teen Choice Awards.
In addition to her acting career, Lucy Liu is an artist and photographer, and from 2004 until 2006 attended the New York Studio School for drawing, painting, and sculpture. Liu has already presented her works consisting of collages, photographs and paintings in several galleries, and in 2006 held an art show, with shares of the profit being donated to UNICEF.
A multi-talented actress Lucy Liu is also an active supporter of charities. In 2001, Liu was a spokesman for the Lee National Denim Day, which supports breast cancer research, and in 2004 was appointed an ambassador for US Fund for UNICEF. Liu is also an active supporter of marriage equality and in 2011 became a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.
In her personal life, Lucy Liu is unmarried – although she apparently planned to marry Zach Helm – but has a son born through surrogacy.
MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble, Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress: Action, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstand...
Nominations
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, People's Choice Award for Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress, MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence, Teen Choice Award for Choice His...
Movies
Kill Bill Volume 1, The Man with the Iron Fists, Shanghai Noon, Lucky Number Slevin, Rise: Blood Hunter, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Payback, Code Name: The Cleaner, Play It to the Bone, Charlie's Angels, Kung Fu Panda 3, Gridlock'd, The Trouble with Bliss, Detachment...
TV Shows
Elementary, Ally McBeal, Cashmere Mafia, Southland, Dirty Sexy Money, Maya & Miguel, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Game Over, High Incident, Hotel Malibu, Marry Me, Ben & Izzy, Michael Hayes, Pearl, I Love the '70s, HBO First Look, Dellaventura, HypaSpace
'Cause you know, everyone has a tattoo, like everybody. I'm trying to be different.
2
I never stopped and thought, "I want a career like this person or that person," not just because of the limitations of being Asian-American, but because of the importance of understanding that you're on your individual path, and there are different crossroads and different journeys... I don't know where mine's going to take me, but I have absolute confidence that it's the right direction.
3
[on dealing with so many 'dead bodies' on 'Elementary'] You become a little jaded. We had someone posing as a dead person we find in a dumpster. She got all the prosthetics on her face to make her look dehydrated, like she's been there for a while. She's been in makeup for three hours, but she's in there eating a breakfast burrito.
4
[on playing a female version of the "Dr. Watson" character in Elementary (2012)] I think flawed characters, having a history and a mysterious past, are always going to keep the audience engaged. Naturally, the connection between the two of them [i.e. with "Sherlock Holmes"] is his oddities and, you know, his inability to be as stable as most people would like to be. She's just as unstable, but not as obvious, because she's trying to distract her own problems with his problems.
5
I try to believe like I believed when I was five...when my heart told me everything I needed to know.
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It's really taking a while but I do think it's becoming more acceptable to cast Asians in roles that weren't originally slated for someone who is Asian, which is so great.
7
Producing is like pushing jello up a hill on a hot day.
8
Martial arts are art forms and require a great deal of discipline and dedication. I so admire people who focus their lives on it, because it's not an easy thing to do.
9
I'm so proud of my heritage, but yes, I think there's always a danger when people put you on a pedestal. Especially when you're just trying to live your life and pursue your dreams. The intention is not to represent Asian Americans, but to be an Asian American who is working as an actress. People often confuse the two. When you are "representing," you have the burden of some people projecting their hopes onto you. This can eventually lead to a certain amount of disappointment. I strive to not deny myself experiences that open up to me. I hope to live without looking back in regret. If people want to join me on the ride, then I'm happy to have them along.
10
[about Ally McBeal (1997)] It's so much fun playing her [Ling], 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 bite their heads off or something.
11
Everything I buy is vintage and smells funny. Maybe that's why I don't have a boyfriend.
12
I grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, with no money. I was taught not to take anything for granted. If you are too busy being a diva or a freak, then you are not enjoying it.