I really have to give Net-a-porter’s relatively new online magazine (The Edit) a lot of credit – they’re doing a better job with interesting editorials and celebrity profiles than most fashion magazines. The Edit also skews older too – they’re not parading 20-something celebrities on their covers. Which is nice, because women in their 40s don’t drop off the face of the earth, you know? Their current cover girl is Lucy Liu, current star of CBS’s Sherlock Holmes drama, Elementary, starring Lucy as Dr. Watson and Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock.

I watched the first few episodes of Elementary last fall, then I missed a chunk of about six episodes in the middle, and then I started watching it again. I started watching it again because it got really good once they stopped with the “Watson is a sober companion” storyline and she became his assistant/intern/co-investigator. The pace picked up significantly and if you’re looking for a decent detective show, this is it. Anyway, Elementary’s two-hour finale is tonight and I’m really looking forward to it! Jonny is a decent Sherlock – he’s not as immature and abrasive as Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock – and Jonny and Lucy have a great deal of chemistry. Surprisingly, their chemistry isn’t sexual in the least. They just seem like they like each other and enjoy each other’s company, which is exactly how it should be between Watson and Holmes.

Anyway, in The Edit interview, Lucy talks a little bit about her Hollywood journey and Hollywood typecasting. To be fair to Lucy, she’s not yelling “Racism!” at everyone, and she doesn’t name names, but you get the feeling that she’s experienced a lot of subtle and unsubtle racism:

Her family: “They wanted me to have a nine-to-five job with a title… My brother, John, let me stay in his apartment. There was no kitchen, it was just a room, and I slept on the floor with him, while his roommate was on a bunk bed. He also paid off my credit card from college. Without him, I don’t think I could have taken [acting] on.”

The daughter of educated Chinese immigrants who worked menial jobs in America: “After their struggle, they just really wanted to see me struggle in a different way, in a more obvious way, maybe something they could understand – she’s at college struggling, but then she will be a banker or a doctor. They understood that.”

Looking younger than her 44 years: she attributes it to “good Asian genes”

She wishes she wasn’t typecast: “I wish people wouldn’t just see me as the Asian girl who beats everyone up, or the Asian girl with no emotion. People see Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy, but not me. You add race to it, and it became, ‘Well, she’s too Asian’, or, ‘She’s too American’. I kind of got pushed out of both categories. It’s a very strange place to be. You’re not Asian enough and then you’re not American enough, so it gets really frustrating.”

Racism in Hollywood: “[I had to] push a lot just to get in the room… I can’t say that there is no racism – there’s definitely something there that’s not easy, which makes [an acting career] much more difficult.”

[From Net-a-Porter]

What’s interesting is that Elementary is sort of set up like a romance because Holmes and Watson are so withholding with each other, and when they do have a brief moment of emotion and connection, it’s extremely powerful (and kind of sexy). But yeah, I think Lucy might have been typecast a little as Joan Watson – why does the Chinese girl always got to play the DOCTOR? And the Indian girl will always be good at math and spelling bees. Racism!

Photos courtesy of Net-a-Porter.

Lucy Liu covers the new issue of Michigan Avenue, a magazine I have never held in my hands or bought or even looked at. I guess it’s supposed to be high-end, right? Like, this is not InStyle, aiming for the broadest market. This is aimed at a niche market, but I don’t really understand which niche. Anyway, I do like the pictorial, and I’m kind of happy to see Lucy getting some magazine covers now that she’s back on a network TV show. Have you been watching Elementary, the American-ized take on Sherlock, meaning a modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes? Elementary has Sherlock in Manhattan, and Lucy plays Dr. Watson, Sherlock’s sobriety coach or something. I have to admit, I’ve watched a few episodes. It’s not the worst thing by far – Jonny Lee Miller is no Benedict Cumberbatch, but I do love some JLM, and he and Lucy have a surprising amount of chemistry. Anyway, you can read the full Michigan Avenue interview here. Liu is interviewed by her “close friend” Idris Elba! Which makes it better. Some highlights:

IDRIS ELBA: Lucy, you have such an amazing career. What would you say has made it so long and successful?
LUCY LIU: Number one, you really have to risk everything—you have to take chances and take on projects that are pretty diverse. Just because you do film, don’t limit yourself. You should also do theater because it puts you out there in a terrifying way in front of a live audience and it really tests your skills. The more flexible you are, the more the longevity of your career is going to sustain itself. That’s what actors want. We don’t want to blow up for two years or five years and then be done.

IE: You’ve worked with amazing directors, most notably Quentin Tarantino. What was one nugget of wisdom that Tarantino taught you?
LL: To really be able to listen. When I first met him, we went to Toi, this rock ’n’ roll Thai restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. We sat down at the table, and he started describing the character of O-Ren Ishii [from Kill Bill], acting out all the parts, the fake laughs, the sound effects… and I’m there eating my pad thai, trying to eat casually, but I feel like I’m a stunned audience member. If somebody is that excited to tell you something, it really is incredible how much you can learn from him or her. You can’t replicate that kind of passion.

Lucy on beauty and femininity: “I grew up as a tomboy, and if you’ve seen photographs of me as a child, you see my mother cut all of my hair off. I had no hair: Picture Sinéad O’Connor with a two-week grow-out. I was not considered feminine at all, and boys did not look at me. I was a toothpick….Up until junior high school, when I really started developing. I never looked at myself as a feminine person. My thing was, “I’m going to be casual and be able to talk to people because I’m hanging out with the guys.” In college, I suddenly felt like I understood more about myself and started making choices on my own. I started doing things that I wanted to do and understanding what my place was in the world, and I think part of that was also embracing myself as a woman. I was smart, I could hang with the guys—I could fall into my own niche category….”

No one tells her she’s beautiful: “But I find that if somebody finds me beautiful, it melts my heart because it’s not something I heard most of the time growing up ever. I can easily be enticed into some terrible relationship because I’m like, “Oh, my God, you think I’m beautiful?” [Idris laughs] You know what I mean? And my friends are like, “Why did you date that ******* for so long?” I’m like, “Oh, God.” [Laughs]

On Jonny Lee Miller: “I love working with Jonny. He’s incredibly talented and very professional. He comes in every day—no matter how long the day before has been— and he’s prepared. If we start another episode with all new dialogue, all new characters, a whole new director, a whole new set, he still has it, and he never keeps anyone waiting. I know that sounds basic, but on a 15 to 20 hour day, if you’re working in television and somebody doesn’t know his lines, you could be there until the next day.”

Lucy on Idris: “I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview because you’re so special, and nobody’s ever asked me to choose my interviewer before. I said, ‘My wish is Idris Elba, but I really don’t know what’s going to happen because he’s shooting a bazillion movies in London and Africa.’ I think that you are a pioneer similar to me in that way, in ethnicity and in scope and in range. You’re also a Renaissance man and understand the different venues we travel just to understand who we are. We do music, we do art, we act, we write, we direct because we are trying to discover who we are. It’s a journey—a lifelong journey.”

[From Michigan Avenue]

There’s a lot of mutual ass-kissing between Lucy and Idris, and it’s kind of annoying, but maybe that’s just coming from my jellus h8erade. I wish Idris was telling me how beautiful I am in a magazine!! WHY, IDRIS? Why aren’t you doing that? As for all of the other stuff… Lucy seems like a pretty well-adjusted person, kind of self-absorbed in the way that a lot of actors are, no more, no less. I did really enjoy the Tarantino story, though. I love a good QT story!

Photos courtesy of Michigan Avenue.

Heidi Klum is such a gorgeous woman, and she’s a bloody supermodel who hosts a fashion show for crying out loud. As such, I just don’t understand why she cannot dress herself in a flattering manner. This Emmys dress is a prime example. Heidi wore an Alexandre Vauthier couture gown on the red carpet, and it did nothing for her figure. While I hate to sound like Guiliana Rancic, Heidi’s “girls” really needed a bit more support, and the seafoam green color was nauseating. Add the Farrah Fawcett hair on top of that, and Heidi looked like she was trying out for a role in an Olivia Newton John movie. Why does she do this to herself?

Julianne Hough also chose a similar sickly greenish tone with this strapless Georges Hobeika couture gown that featured lots of embellishment, and it reminded me of the mermaid girl from the Chicken of the Sea cans. Julianne’s makeup is very overdone here, and she should have worn her hair in loose waves. No matter though — she’s a cute girl, but she won’t be around for long!

Edie Falco opted for one of those awful Stella McCartney “optical illusion” dresses that are all the rage these past few seasons (even Kate Moss has made the mistake of wearing one). Edie remarked that it was “very comfortable,” so that’s something I guess.

Lucy Liu was my star of the evening in Versace. The dress was entirely made of metal, but Lucy remarked that “because of the way it’s distributed on the body it’s comfortable.” So unlike Edie, Lucy looked great while feeling comfy too. Lucy was also the subject of many Tweeters’ envy with some wondering whether or not she has a Dorian Grey-esque portrait stashed in her attic. She’s utter perfection.

Photos courtesy of WENN

At the Critics’ Choice Television Awards last night, there were a few hits and plenty of misses. Hayden Panettiere dressed down in a Keepsake “Lost Without You” aqua blue dress that showed off a bit of skin. The dress looks great on her figure but is also very dated. I have no idea why she wore nude peep-toed shoes with this dress either. Her hair and makeup look pretty good though even if she does look slightly too tan at this event. Hayden also has a great smile, which makes any outfit look prettier than it really is.

Emmy Rossum fared much better (she was up for Best Actress in a Drama Series) in a Donna Karan gown that had a one-shouldered design and wrapped around her body in a dramatic manner from the back view. The gold, metal-like fabric provided a nice contrast against Emmy’s light skin and dark hair, and the bold pink lipstick is an unexpected touch that also works well. I also love the side-swept hair, which fits the mood of the dress.

Natalie Zea … EGADS. I don’t even know where to begin here, but those of you who watch “Justified” (and this past season of “Californication”) will know that Natalie is a gorgeous woman with tons of sex appeal and (relatively) natural beauty. On last night’s red carpet, she worked very hard to destroy all of that. Is she trying to be Cleopatra? The dress itself isn’t a disaster, but those dramatic, overdone earrings and harsh makeup really complete the transformation into a terrible, terrible look. Poor Natalie.

Lucy Liu won the award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series (“Southland”) and looked very feminine yet ravishing at the same time. Lucy wore an Atelier Versace gown in light pink with lots of lace and ruffles. Her loose chignon and soft, girlish makeup set off the look perfectly. I still can’t believe she’s 43 years old.

Kate Walsh looked incredibly bland on the red carpet last night. There’s nothing wrong with this yellow dress, but she could have dressed it up a bit with an updo and more dramatic makeup.

Charlie Hunnam was there too in a black suit and black tie. It’s a bit monochromatic, and I sort of miss his longish hair from way back. Still, the man is adorable.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN

Last night’s Independent Spirit Awards added to the 70 worldwide awards already collected by The Artist, which won Best Feature, Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Male Lead (Jean Dujardin), and Best Cinematography. Sadly, there was no Jean or Uggie on the red carpet! They were probably en route across the Atlantic Ocean in preparation for tonight’s Oscars, and if you want to read a full list of Independent Spirit winners, you may do so here. Now let’s run down some B-C listers on the red carpet.

Zoe Saldana wore a floral Balmain mini dress that showed off her pin-thin pins. She’s really, really skinny, right? I’d make the clichéd statement that the gold, flowery print really reminds me of something that I’ve seen in my grandma’s living room, but my grandma had much better taste than to upholster in such a manner. I feel like Zoe does the structured shoulder look far too often, and the nude-colored pumps look really obtrusive (gold strappy sandals would’ve been better). Zoe is a very beautiful woman, but she didn’t bring it on the red carpet here. The open back on the dress is slightly interesting though.

Elizabeth Olsen donned an Antonio Berardi white sheath dress, and I wanted to say something about Lizzie not being able to dress for her body type, but she’s lovely in this dress nonetheless. I’m not entirely crazy about the sleeves, and it’s a bit too crystal-encrusted for my personal tastes, but she made a strong debut at these awards with her nomination for Best Female Lead.

Anna Kendrick wore an Alexander McQueen dress that I really tried to resist but actually loved. I think the bold shot of reds overrode the paisley combined with black leather waist — a combo that doesn’t theoretically make sense, but Anna pulls it off. Her hair and makeup are quite pretty and set off a youthful glow.

Kate Beckinsale went very casual with a fuschia jumpsuit by Diane von Furstenberg. She accessorized with Christian Louboutin peep-toe heels and a Gucci bag. Her glossy lips and loose hair looked particularly unkempt, and this entire ensemble gives me a headache.

Laura Dern, in a move clearly inspired by late 1980s Bop magazine ensembles, wore a floral maxi dress and denim jacket. Holy Debbie Gibson monstrosity! I’m not quite sure what’s going on here, and I don’t know that we should even try to analyze it beyond stating that Laura really looks like crap here.

Lucy Liu provided a much needed kick of playfulness on the red carpet. She wore a Roberto Cavalli dress (which I like even with the leopard print detail) and Giuseppi Zanotti wedge shoes. Her makeup was appropriate, and her pulled-back ponytail was just right. Did you know that she’s 43 years old? Lucy looks spectacular.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hit the red carpet at Cannes for the premiere of her animated feature Kung Fu Panda. Angelina looks lovely in a low-cut forest green flowing dress that emphasizes her growing assets while Brad is dapper in a suit and tie, short hair and a goatee flecked with gray. The couple looked happy and relaxed, smiling and laughing as they shared a private joke. Ten to one they’re making fun of Eva Longoria’s ridiculous dress. What the hell is that tulle monstrosity she’s wearing? She looks like a figure skater who’s about to whip off the back of her skirt for her next number after her photo op. And look how she’s posed with her arm out at that awkward angle.

Also shown are Natalie Imbruglia looking like a deer in the headlights, Dustin Hoffman, and Lucy Liu. Thanks to WENN for these photos.

Sexy Lucy Liu has chopped up her hair and I just cant call it for good, and how can anybody wear green shoes with purple dress. Her shocking dress sense has left me stunned but thank god its just for a movie.

She was in Brooklyn, New York filming for her upcoming movie ‘Watching the Detectives‘.

Via People

This article was originally published on Celebguru and is used under a content share agreement while Celebitchy is on vacation.