Lucy Liu Breaks Down 20 Looks, From Charlie's Angels to Kill Bill & More | Life in Looks | Vogue

Hi Vogue, this is Lucy Liu, and this is my life in looks. All right, let's see what we got here. Oh, okay. This character is Ling Wu from Ally McBeal, who became quite popular for her, I guess, honesty, her bluntness. So this is late 90s, and it was like the very narrow eyebrow and the very like, you know, tight fitting clothes, very body conscious. And the clothes were sort of representing her personality, and she was just sort of all out there. I was brought on to Ally McBeal as a guest star, and I did not know anything about the show really, because I was so focused on theater. I was about to take a project that was a lead role in the theater production for regional theater, no less. And that was going to go for three months. And I was like, I'm going to take that job. And my manager was like, you will not be taking that job. You'll be taking this eight day job as a guest star. And I was like, why would I do that when I can work for three months for $10 as opposed to work for eight days for more? So stupid. I still work with Mary Ellen Mulcahy today. It's been over 30 years, and she kind of helped me see myself as more of a lead than as someone in the background. Okay, this dress was actually designed and created by Joseph Perrault, who I worked with on Shanghai Noon. I was able to do that movie with Jackie Chan, who I idolized. And I was shooting in Calgary, Canada, and I was nominated for an Emmy. I remember hearing the news when I was there, and then Joseph said that he would design the dress for me, which I was blown away by because this guy has so much artistry, so much history. So I was thrilled, and I didn't even know what that meant because I didn't even know what designers did. I grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, and we had like a rainbow down the street in this mini mall. I mean, and that was elegance to me. I invited my mother as my plus one to this Emmy's award, whatever it was. I just didn't comprehend how big it was. And also this award for Best Supporting Actress was the first award up. So I sat down and then the whole thing was over already. And I was like, what happened? The show won for Ally McBeal, and it was just such a huge movement forward because comedy was seen differently. Comedy was always like 30 minutes, half hour, laugh track. And so this was a longer, dedicated time that was sort of dramedy. And it was a big deal because there was also a dancing baby. And now you can do absolutely everything, but back then the idea of a green screen and a dancing baby and working with something that wasn't there was huge. So it was a moment in time that I will never forget. It was really the beginning of my career. This is pre having a stylist. I mean, it's kind of outrageous that I was running around with practically nothing on. I was just living my best life, guys. This is a bag that I think either a friend of mine sewed or I bought off of like Canal Street. I'm not even posing. It's sort of like I'm slumping. It's kind of great. I love this moment because it's so real. Clearly, what is it for? Oh, play it to the bone. Okay. This is kind of an offshoot of my own character that was kind of like out there, but really my personality was like, this is kind of cool. I'm just going to put it on. This is from Shanghai Noon. I was playing Princess Pei Pei. I met Joseph Perrault here who designed my Emmy dress. And you can see the detail and the team that he worked with. It was really a magnificent time for me to grow myself because I had not really left the country that much. When I got there, I asked Jackie Chan if he would teach me some stunts. I was like, come on guys, teach me some stuff. And his whole team was there. You know, he's like, no, no, no, you don't get to do anything. I don't want you to get hurt. And they basically tried to teach me to juggle. I was like, why am I here with your entire stunt team? And you're trying to teach me to juggle, by the way, unsuccessful. So clearly not coordinated enough. And maybe that was their, you know, test to see if I could actually handle knives and other things. This character actually launched me into Kill Bill. When I got the call from Quentin Tarantino, he said, I wrote this role for you. I'm really excited. I really want you to read the script when it's ready. And he said, your role is Princess Pei Pei. Like it really moved me and it really connected me with you. And that's why I wrote this role. So Oren came from, in a strange way, from Princess Pei Pei. So thank you, Princess. This is a Versace dress. And it was my first time to the Oscars. Cameron Drew and I were presenting Best Costume and this dress was beaded. And it was also about a thousand pounds. So when I got home, I had like an indent in my shoulder from the weight of this dress. So this dress was really the first designer, Versace, Donatella, that I wore. It basically captures everything in this moment. I think I look slightly stunned. Well, okay, guys. This is a character, Alex Mundy from Charlie's Angels. We are undercover and we're trying to get Cameron's character to break into this, you know, sealed room. Very kind of payback, dominatrix-y, but also feminine and tough and funny. Most importantly, funny. For this, we did the preparation that we could. We trained five days a week, eight hours a day, no big deal. I remember being there the first day for training and thinking, I got this. I'm kicking high, I'm kicking sideways. I mean, I am so flexible. And then the next day I walked in and I didn't really walk. I was like basically on my knees crawling in because, you know, it's not the first day that it's painful, it's the second day. And then the third day was even worse. And you know what? Before this, I didn't even have a gym membership. So the irony is that, you know, people started putting me in all these action movies, but I had never even picked up a barbell. There are so many looks from that movie. There's that race car track move. I mean, it was like Americana with the stars and the, you know, red, white, and blue. And I think there was something very elite about Alex, you know, that was not originally written for someone Asian. So I wanted them to keep the last name Mundy to show that this was not something that was supposed to be, but here it is. And we're gonna serve it. Thankfully, this says Golden Globes Awards. This is a Versace dress. It's got the beading. It's got the feathers. That is my manager, Mariela Mulcahy, who I've been working with from the beginning. She believed in me before I believed in me because my parents were like, what? My mother is still, you know, she gets it and she appreciates it. And I know that now because she gave me a like an old school luggage. I mean, I'm talking about like 1960s and it was filled with clippings that her friends had written in Chinese and sent to me or from Chinese newspapers. And I realized that she had been saving all of these articles about me. So I think she gets it now. Come on, guys, Sex and the City. I was playing myself and when they asked me to play me, I was like, what does that mean? What do people think of me? This whole thing actually revolved around the Hermes bag. In the rehearsal, I was using this fake bag. And then when we actually shot, like I'm telling you, like security, people that were dressed in suits, like men in black. I mean, they showed up, they had a safe where this Hermes bag was that they took out and used. I was like, what is the big deal with this bag? You know, and they had white gloves on the whole nine yards. And you know what? It's a big deal. Anyway, she got one or, you know, Samantha got one and used her name, which is hilarious. Her being me, which is weird. I don't know. I'm really confused. Oren Ishii. This moment in time is forever for me. This kimono was not just an ordinary kimono. They created this kimono for me. Kumiko Ogawa, she was the one who designed this kimono and this kimono almost wasn't a kimono. Originally, Quentin wanted me to wear something very different. And he wanted me to wear this kind of communist gray with the frogs and croquettes, like Converse. When I read the script, which was so beautifully written, and Quentin is really such an artist and a visionary, I saw something very different. And I just saw there was an elegance about her and a femininity that I wanted to retain. I said, why don't we take what you are known for, like your Pulp Fiction, the black ties and the white shirts and the black suits, like the simplicity of what he did, why don't we take that and make that into something? So for the first scene that you see Oren in, she's in a black kimono with a white underneath the black kimono. And so that was representing basically Pulp Fiction. And I said, for the snow garden scene, why don't we reverse it and make it white on the outside and black on the inside? He was willing to say yes. And it changed the direction of how Oren was able to be received. This look and the sword and everything, I actually donated it to the Academy. So if you want to visit it, you can visit it at the Academy. This beautiful look, Ungaro, it was at the Met Ball. And here's John Battista Valley, who actually was the designer at the time. The story behind this dress is that before I got in it, there was an issue with the zipper. So he actually had to sew me into this dress. And then we had to cut the dress off in order for me to get out of it. I mean, it's being held up by this tiny little moment here on my neck. If that thing split, it would have been like, hello, everyone. So this was my first time at the Met Gala. And then in 2007, I went with Zac Posen and he created this stunning, vibrant purple gown that had a train. And I remember wearing this tiara also. And I remember being there and it was just such a huge fashion moment. And Zac was trying to pull the dress, the train out so that he really could see how beautiful it was. This is a John Battista Valley dress. This is when he was John Battista Valley and only John Battista Valley. He wasn't designing for anyone else. It was a big deal. I still have this dress, actually. You're gonna see it again. I'm gonna wear it again, you guys. Watch out. Because it is so elegant and it's classic and it is beautiful. And this was for Kung Fu Panda. And I was voicing Viper and this was in London. And I just remember it was just a huge opening. My son has seen this movie, but when he did see it, well, he didn't really connect the dots necessarily, you know? But he does go around saying, you know, my mom was Viper in Kung Fu Panda. Guys, all I can say is Carolina Herrera put pockets in this dress. Thank you, Carolina. Because I never know what to do with my hands. And I think there's that weird pose where you put your hands on your thing. It's just so awkward. It was the Golden Globes and I have no idea what I was doing there, but I was there with this dress. And that's the memory that I have. This is Vivian Westwood. And I'm here at the Tonys. Vivian Westwood was a designer that I just admired so much. I thought that her work was always sort of idiosyncratic because it wasn't about symmetry. I remember really trying to match this hair with the dress and I wanted like a faux hawk. This is my idea of a faux hawk, guys. So it was like kind of a female tuxedo, this dress. You know, that was the kind of the idea behind it. I received the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was the second Asian American woman in 60 years to receive it. This is the only thing that I brought my son to because I didn't want to expose him to all the craziness. My mother was there too. So it was a really special moment. My dear friends, Demi Moore and Rhea Perlman came and spoke for me. And to think that I am there after the journey that I've been on on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, that was, to me, the moment that I think that I felt like I've actually accomplished something. The 80s is the best. This is from Why Women Kill. Janie Bryant was the costume designer who is just brilliant. All of the things that she pulled were vintage. So very layered, very shoulder padded, and very itchy. Thanks, dust mites. You know, Simone, there was just no controlling her. There was no such thing as over-accessorizing with her. And I think her personality was very much like that. The nails, you know, I had never really worked with nails before, and I never had nails myself because I never really, like, took care of my hands because I'm always painting or doing something. And I always had to wear, like, pantyhose because the 80s was all about that. And I thought, am I gonna, like, have these nails and put these pantyhose on at the same time? Like, you guys have to choose which one you want me to do. But I actually ended up doing both. I was forced to, and I'm so glad I was. This is when I was walking outside of some press event. And this Tory Burch jacket I have, and it just works with everything. I think the key to good street style is just being comfortable, but also knowing when you want to cover, you know, what's underneath so you don't want to reveal the surprise underneath. Also, sunglasses are, like, kind of always cool. This was for the Toronto Film Festival. This was a movie that I worked on with Steven Soderbergh, who is, I idolize, in Presence. So, Manfredonia is this dress. I remember putting a belt on it to sort of cinch the waist to, you know, kind of make the body look a little taller and longer. And it really photographed, like, incredibly as well. We are in Germany, and this is a premiere for Red One. And this is Zuhair Murad, which is, I mean, look at this work. We built my entire suitcase around this dress because of the, I guess, these loops. We thought that we'd have to prop up the loops and put all these things through it, but it laid flat and they just popped right out when I wore it, and it's incredible. And I think it's one of those movies that are gonna be, like, home alone, where the kids watch it over and over. I know that I'm going to, because I'm kind of a kid. This was for the Academy Gala, and this was a moment that I will never forget. I went with my dear friend, Demi, and we walked down this carpet together because it's really intimidating getting on a red carpet by yourself. And so, she was like, let's go together, and I was like, yes! And actually, this dress is sort of, like, Marie Antoinette-esque. It had pockets. It was very, very lightweight, and just, the color was beautiful, and this necklace is Margot McKinney, and we called them last minute on the day, and they showed up, and boom, it was on my neck, and it, like, completed the outfit. The whole thing worked, and it was wonderful. This is the poster for Rosemead. In my entire career, 30-plus years, this is the first time I'm playing a lead, so it's very meaningful to me. I speak the language, you know, Mandarin Chinese, in it, and I also, I was able to link so much of my culture with it, and it was probably the most special project that I've ever worked on. For me, my career has been built on playing a human being, and so all of the roles that I've ever played are, to me, roles that come from something organic in me, and I think when the labeling is gone, and it's not like, she's an Asian-American actress, when that day comes, I'll know that I have succeeded in actually accomplishing something miraculous, which is to break out of those stereotypes and labels, and just to be an artist, purely for being an artist. I am gonna do a closed-eyed drawing, and then I'm gonna sign it. Just imagine something, and then sort of feel it. And, like, sometimes when you see something, it actually makes it worse, because you're, like, thinking about it too much. It's flowers in a vase. This is the problem, when I start to do something, I have to really finish it. For you. I'm totally overwhelmed. I could cry. Thank you. Thank you for this moment.