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colorsA successful movie career almost didn’t happen for Lucy Liu, as she fought against her parents’ wishes and racial stereotypes. She talks to Tiffany Bakker about prejudice, taking on a man’s role and her search for love

Photographs by Mariano vivanco Styling by TRACy TAYLOR Previous page: f it had been left to Lucy Liu’s daughter of Chinese immigrants, Dress by Gucci. This page: Top by parents, she would never have she admits to being frustrated by Maison Martin become an actor. “They wanted her parents’ initial lack of support. Margiela; skirt by I Burberry Prorsum me to have a nine-to-five job with a They were highly educated, forced title,” she explains. Luckily, to do menial jobs in their new someone else in her family was country. Her parents struggled, she more supportive – and is the explains, and they didn’t want the person Liu still credits with having same for her. “After their struggle, the most influence on her career. they just really wanted to see me “My brother, John, let me stay in struggle in a different way, in a his apartment. There was no more obvious way, maybe kitchen, it was just a room, and I something they could understand slept on the floor with him, while – she’s at college struggling, but his roommate was on a bunk bed,” then she will be a banker or a she remembers. “He also paid off doctor. They understood that.” my credit card from college. In the flesh, Liu looks younger Without him, I don’t think I could than her 44 years (something she have taken [acting] on.” attributes to “good Asian genes”). Dressed down in pants and a On screen she can be intimidating T-shirt – Liu’s mantra is: “If it’s not – known for her take-no-prisoners, comfortable, I don’t want to wear it. straight-talking personas in roles I like pieces you can make such as Ling Woo in Ally McBeal, downtown or uptown,” – the actress O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino’s surveys the natural grandeur of Central Park laid out before us from the window of a lavish “If it’s not comfortable, penthouse suite high up at The I don’t want to wear Carlyle hotel in New York’s Upper it. I like pieces you East Side and exhales, “Everything can make downtown or is so quiet up here,” she says in awe. Growing up in the bustling New uptown” York borough of Queens, the Dress by Lanvin Kill Bill and Alex Munday in the profile career, she has remained Charlie’s Angels franchise. Off- something of an enigma. There has screen she is worlds apart, in truth never been the slightest sniff of appearing somewhat vulnerable scandal, her private life kept, well, and even a little defensive, though private. (She says she doesn’t do it may just be shyness. “I’m not anything “interesting” in tabloid good with attention,” she confirms. terms.) Liu has been linked to various izarrely, Liu likes to refer to men over the years (most recently, herself in the collective “we”. in 2010, she was said to be dating BNot as though she’s talking billionaire financier Noam about herself in the third person, Gottesman), but currently her rather that, between her agent, her relationship status seems a little manager and assistants, she sees foggy, even to the actress. “It’s a her career as a group effort. She mixed bag right now,” she laughs. peppers conversation with “we try “It’s a giant question mark for me, to do things that aren’t specifically as well. I wish I could answer – I Asian roles”, “we strive toward wish I knew the answer myself!” In something that’s not as the past she has talked of wanting obvious”. It’s a little odd (especially kids, but says: “It just hasn’t for an actor), but plays into how Liu happened yet,” adding that she likes to shift the attention away might do it alone at some point. from herself. For despite her high- Liu is proud of her achievements, but admits she gets annoyed when people can’t – or won’t – think of “[Relationships are] a her outside of that “action” box: “I mixed bag right now. It’s wish people wouldn’t just see me as a giant question mark the Asian girl who beats everyone for me. I wish I knew the up, or the Asian girl with no emotion. People see Julia Roberts answer” or Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy, but not me. You add race to it, and it became, ‘Well, she’s too “It was a challenge,” admits Liu. “It’s Asian’, or, ‘She’s too American’. I so steeped in history, you want to kind of got pushed out of both keep that temperature, but categories. It’s a very strange place acclimatise people to something to be. You’re not Asian enough and new you’re shifting them towards.” then you’re not American enough, so it gets really frustrating.” uring her 22-year career, Liu Liu’s wary of playing the racism has moved between card, but admits that she had to Dtelevision and movies, “push a lot just to get in the room”. taking on projects that inspire her. “I can’t say that there is no racism Ask her to reflect on her favorite – there’s definitely something there roles and her answer is Lucky that’s not easy, which makes [an Number Slevin and Watching The acting career] much more difficult.” Detectives, two movies she admits In her latest role, she’s breaking “not many people” have seen. “Both down barriers in a different way: in are special to me because I didn’t the CBS television series, have to do any kind of action or Elementary, the most recent reboot karate kicks. It was just about the of Sherlock Holmes, she plays a acting, and I was able to stretch my female Dr Watson. This time muscles in them,” she smiles. “Well, around, Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) figuratively, anyway.” is a slightly Aspergic, recovering With that, Liu is off, uncomfortable drug addict, working for the NYPD. with the amount of time she has spent talking about herself. She’s keen to get the day’s makeup off “I can’t say there’s no and maybe do some painting. As racism [in the movie she heads for the door, she pauses Creativeindustry] Director: Jo – there’s to give me a long hug. It’s Baldwin. Hair: Keith completely unexpected, but honest Carpenter at The definite ly something and warm, much like Lucy Liu. Wall Group. Makeup: t s i Ayamithere Nishimura. that’s Nails: not easy” d Maria Salandra. Fashion SHOP LUCY’S SHOOT4

cre assistant: Sofia Catania Dress by Hervé Léger