Lucy Liu spoke about the biases she has faced in Hollywood, including being typecast in stereotypical roles and how she had to wait for 30 years to get a challenging role
Lucy Liu. Pic/AP
Lucy Liu, the 56-year-old actress known for her action-packed roles in Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels, has opened up about landing her first dramatic leading role in the movie Rosemead, despite decades of work in Hollywood, according to People.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Liu revealed that she had to wait over 30 years to get a leading role that challenges her and taps into her potential. "I started doing indies, and I was lucky enough to fall into the commercial world, but those are kind of more side-salad roles," she said.
Rosemead, directed by Eric Lin, is based on a true story and features Liu as Irene, a Chinese immigrant struggling with her son's schizophrenia diagnosis. The film has earned multiple festival awards since its premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
Liu spoke candidly about the biases she has faced in Hollywood, including being typecast in stereotypical roles.
"I feel like it's always been in there," Liu said of her performance, which has earned multiple festival awards since Rosemead's 2025 Tribeca Film Festival premiere. "I just haven't had any opportunities to tap into it. I mean, to think that I've been in this business for over 30 years and now have the first leading role like this is kind of crazy. I did not know that until somebody pointed it out to the team. I've never really looked at myself in that way."
Liu also recalled the "strange lull" after the success of her action movies and her award-winning run on the series Ally McBeal, as reported by People.
"I remember being like, 'Why isn't there more happening?'" she said. "I didn't want to participate in anything where I felt like they weren't even taking me seriously. How am I being given these offers that are less than when I started in this business? It was a sign of disrespect to me, and I didn't really want that. I didn't want to acquiesce to that."
She continued, "I haven't gone out and changed my face; there's only so much I can do. I cannot turn myself into somebody who looks Caucasian, but if I could, I would've had so many more opportunities," as quoted by People.
Rosemead is set to release in theatres on December 5, along with a re-release of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. Liu will next be seen in The Devil Wears Prada 2, releasing on May 1, 2026.
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