Lucy Liu Net Worth

What is Lucy Liu's Net Worth?

Lucy Liu is an American actress who has a net worth of $16 million. Over the years Lucy Liu has appeared in a wide range of film and television projects. Her successful career has earned her various awards and accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Critics' Choice Television Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award. One of her most notable roles was in the series "Ally McBeal" as Ling Woo. She then made a notable film appearance in 2000's "Charlie's Angels" before reprising her role in the 2003 sequel.

Her other films include "Payback," "Shanghai Noon," "Chicago," "Kill Bill: Volume 1," "Lucky Number Slevin," "The Man with the Iron Fists," and "Set It Up." Liu is also a notable voice actor, having booked roles in animated projects like "Kung Fu Panda," "Mulan II," and the series "Tinkerbell."

Early Life

Lucy Liu was born on December 3nd of 1968 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. Raised alongside two older siblings by a biochemist and a civil engineer who were originally from Beijing and Shanghai, Lucy grew up in a "diverse" neighborhood. She learned to speak Mandarin from birth and started to speak English at the age of five. During her childhood years, she studied martial arts. By the time she attended high school, she adopted the middle name Alexis.

After graduating from high school, Lucy attended New York University. She then transferred to the University of Michigan and earned a bachelor's degree in Asian languages and cultures.

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Career

Before graduating from university, Liu was already well on her way to becoming a professional actress. At the age of 19, she was spotted by an agent in New York. She then booked a commercial. While attending the University of Michigan, she booked the lead role in the school's theatrical production of "Alice in Wonderland." After returning to New York, she made her theatrical debut in "Fairy Bones."

During this period, Lucy was also booking small roles in various film and TV projects. Her first major film debut came with the Hong Kong film "Rythm of Destiny." In 1993, she had a notable role in an episode of "L.A. Law." Her big break came in 1997 when she was cast as Ling Woo in "Ally McBeal." She initially auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter, but Portia de Rossi won the role instead. Nevertheless, casting was so impressed that they created the role of Ling Woo specifically for Liu.

In addition, Liu's role was never meant to be permanent. However, high audience ratings and clear favoritism from fans meant that Ling Woo was there to stay. Eventually, her performances impressed critics to such a degree that she was honored with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also ended up with a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

During this period, Liu also appeared in movies like "Love Kills," "Payback," "Molly," and "Play It to the Bone." A much more notable role came with 2000's "Charlie's Angels," which was directed by McG. That year, she also booked a central role in the film "Shanghai Noon." Lucy later reprised her role in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." In 2003, she continued her spree of action roles, playing "O-Ren Ishii in "Kill Bill." This role won her an MTV Award for Best Movie Villain.

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Over the next few years, Lucy appeared in TV series like "Joey," and in films like "Chicago," "Domino," "Lucky Number Slevin," and "3 Needles." In 2007, she appeared in films like "Code Name: The Cleaner." and "Rise: Blood Hunter." She also started voicing characters in movies like "Kung Fu Panda" and in series like "Disney Fairies" during this period.

In 2012, she joined the cast of "Elementary" as Watson. She then joined the cast of "Southland," playing a police officer. In 2018, she starred in "Future World." In 2021, it was announced that she would be playing the role of Kalypso in the superhero film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods."

Health Issues

Lucy Liu once struggled with a possible breast cancer issue in 1991. A lump was found in one of her breasts and it was removed via surgery. The lump was found to be benign, although Liu has described the incident as "traumatizing."

Personal Life

Lucy Liu has a child named Rockwell, who was born in 2015 via a gestational surrogate. She has raised her son as a single parent, choosing not to have a father in the picture. She has stated that this arrangement made the most sense to her as she was dealing with a busy working career at the time.

Real Estate

Lucy Liu originally purchased property in her hometown of New York City. In 2005, she purchased a unit in a townhouse-style boutique not far from Union Square. She paid around $2 million for the 1,816-square foot residence. She then purchased a second, similarly-sized unit in the same building in 2006 for $2.05 million. Both units are directly on top of one another, giving Liu two full floors in the townhome.

In 2018, it was reported that Liu was selling her home in Studio City. She listed the Fryman Canyon property for $4.199 million. Described as having a "modern craftsman" aesthetic, the residence was originally purchased by Lucy in 2001 for $2.3 million. Before Liu bought the home, it was originally owned by actress Patricia Arquette. Spanning 4,098 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, the home features a sauna, media lounge, swimming pool, and other highlights. In 2019, Liu managed to sell her home for $3.06 million.