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Lucy Lui
Born to Chinese
immigrants in Queens, New York, Lucy Liu has always tried to balance an
interest in her cultural heritage with a desire to move beyond a
strictly Asian-American experience. Once relegated to "ethnic" parts,
the energetic actress is finally earning her stripes as an
across-the-board leading lady. Liu first appeared on the big screen as
an ex-girlfriend in Jerry Maguire (1996) (. She then waded through a
series of supporting parts in small films before landing her big break
on "Ally McBeal" (1997). Liu initially auditioned for the role of Nelle
Porter, which went to Portia de Rossi, but writer-producer David E.
Kelley was so impressed with her spunk that he promised to write a part
for her in an upcoming episode. The part turned out to be that of
growling, ill-tempered lawyer Ling Woo, which Liu filled with such
aplomb that she was signed on as a regular cast member. The "Ally" win
gave Liu's film career a much-needed boost--in 1999, she was cast as a
dominatrix in the Mel Gibson action flick Payback (1999), and as a
hitchhiker in the ill-received boxing saga Play It to the Bone (1999).
The next year brought even larger roles: first as the kidnapped Princess
Pei Pei in Jackie Chan's western Shanghai Noon (2000), then as one-third
of the comely crime-fighting trio in Charlie's Angels (2000).
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