Here are some photos of Lucy Liu at Paleyfest two weekends ago, supporting her work on Elementary. I love her on Elementary, and it bums me out that Elementary isn’t more beloved and watched. Like, it’s one of the best shows on television and they handle mature discussions about sexual assault and addiction very well. Lucy and Jonny Lee Miller are also fantastic on it and they have great chemistry together, but not in a sexual will-they-get-together sort of way. Anyway, at Paleyfest, Lucy was asked about what it’s like to be such a prominent Asian-American woman in Hollywood. Some of her comments:
What she thinks about Hollywood whitewashing: “That obviously is a hot topic. It’s hard because often times I’m asked not how I feel or how I pride myself as an artist but how I feel as an Asian artist — there’s always some sort of a hangman before the actual thing. That disturbs me a bit. It’s never about the art itself, it’s about the adjective. I’m playing the main act of what’s happening.”
She’s uncomfortable receiving acclaim specifically for being Asian-American: “When you’re asked to go a festival and it’s Asian-American, or it’s an award, it’s specific to ‘that.’ Because I’m ‘that.’ It’s difficult to swallow.”
Being invited to join the Academy: “It was just a big honor. Then, with all that’s been going on, they sent a letter out, basically saying they wanted members to then open up and send a list of people that were ethnic in diversity. I had this moment of, I was just thinking about it. I was just so glad I was accepted into this wonderful group because of my work, not because I am Asian, and now they’re trolling the fields for people who fit that. I want to be acknowledged for my work, not for my ‘fill in the blank.’”
The frustration about having to discuss her race: “It’s exhausting, to have to explain it. Is it difficult? Absolutely. There’s less to have, and there’s more to do, in order to get that less. It’s hard because it’s rare that I’ll be asked a question that is not with that before it. I always have this hyphen, even if it’s a great periodical — sorry to sound so geeky — if it’s a great something that people really respect and admire, they still will ask that as opposed to ‘How does it feel to be an actress in the business?’ It’s never that. ‘How does it feel to be an Asian person in the business?’ I don’t know. I don’t know what it is to be ‘Asian’ because I am a person. I’m a human being. I don’t look in the mirror, honestly, and say, ‘Oh, before I say something, I better remember that I am Asian.’ The whole joke is, like, when you go to China, you don’t order Chinese food, you’re just ordering the f–king food. So, yes, it’s not easy. I want to get the job. I want to get the thought or the acceptance because of my work, not because I have a hyphen before my name.”
This reminded me so strongly of what Mindy Kaling has always said, and I’m paraphrasing but it’s basically like: if you’re a woman of color in the industry, you have to talk endlessly about what it’s like to be a woman of color in the industry and all of the white guys get to talk about their art. Lucy wants to talk about her art. She wants to talk about the show. She wants to talk about what she does an actress, not as an Asian-American woman. But women of color do feel the responsibility so much of the time to actually champion their racial cause because… well, let’s face it, women of color are NOT being given a seat at the table for the most part, and being able to say “Mindy Kaling” and “Lucy Liu” and “Viola Davis” actually changes perceptions around which actresses are even considered for roles.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’ll be forever curious about what went down between her and Bill Murray.
I so agree.
I understand why Lucy Liu would get tired of explaining her race. But honestly she hasn’t been given bigger roles in Hollywood. People have this misconception that Hollywood is liberal but clearly its one of the most conservative media outlets out there. Only a few production companies, producers and writers have the balls to stop running in the hamster wheel and create something innovative.
I keep thinking of Matt Damon comment during project green light ” you don’t do diversity in crew but in the casting.” He was stating this after the female director (I can’t remember her name, forgive me) decided that the two contestant. One being an Asian-American and the other a white women could bring in their perspective on a movie about a black prosistute. I felt Damon argument against that was very weak. If a white male can produce a movie on the same subject, why not these two people? The word diversity doesn’t have to mean in racial terms but in ideas as well. the only time Hollywood understand diversity is when discussing about race yet it doesn’t solely mean that. Hollywood follows a very arcadic system of casting and creating movies and TV shows.
Lucy Liu deserves to recognize for her art just like she deserves more roles to showcase her art. It’s a matter of opportunity and those creators to against the conservative majority to make it happen.
I think the word “diversity” has become so loaded in and of itself that people forget that it means what you said: a difference of experience and ideas. What ever happened to “variety is the spice of life?”
She hits all the right spots. Why doesn’t she get more attention? She’s had a pretty great career so far.
Agreed and I like her a lot. She is just as good if not better than she 80% of the actresses getting frequent roles. But the reason she doesn’t get more roles is because Asian-Americans don’t get much roles outside of the usual stereotypes but Lucy doesn’t want to have that conversation. She does not want to discuss discrimination.
It is her right to not want the Asian hyphen attached when speaking about being an actress but it so reminds me of Priyanka Chopra’s interview of wanting not to be identified as a WOC. I do believe some non-White actresses think that they will have more roles opened up to them if they are not viewed as “ethnic”. If they are just seen as a “generic women” who doesn’t talk about their racial identity.
It then becomes frustrating when Black women stand up and fight for their rights to not be marginalized for their race and people like Lucy and Priyanka don’t want to be allies or “make noise/be associated with them “. At the same time these Black actresses are shouted down for not fighting for roles for “other minority races”. IMO such excuses are simply used to silence Black people from their legitimate protests.
However whatever gains Black actresses win always HELPS other minorities who were not willing to support them in their protests. I hate to break it to Lucy and Priyanka but when it comes down to brass tacks, a White actress will always get 100 times more roles than you do even if you remove your ethnicity from your resume.
Viola Davis is still able to talk about her artistry and acting while being identified as Black. White actresses still learn from her and talk about her acting principles which come out in her interviews. Your can talk about the challenges of being a woman in Hollywood as well as talk about your craft in general. They do not cancel each other out!
Yes! And thank you for stating what I didn’t feel like typing out.
I just want to say, I bloody love Elementary!
One of my favorite Lucy Liu roles was in Lucky Number Slevin. It was a silly movie, but it was the first time I remember her playing a character that any talented actress could play. She didn’t wear any Asian stereotype clothing, no fight scenes and no dialogue comments about her ethnicity. My new favorite is her role in Elementary. I really like that as Watson, her heritage is portrayed as a knowledge resource of a complex and multi faceted character. It’s on equal level as her experience as a surgeon, counselor, friend, detective, New Yorker, and all her other life experiences. I love that her ancestry isn’t the most interesting thing about her character.
Love her, love Miller, love Elementary! Cover them whenever you can!