When one thinks of Lucy Liu, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Charlie’s Angels, the action film she starred in with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz twenty-six years ago. Or they think of O-Ren Ishii performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. The point is, we don’t consider her as more than an action star, but that has been changing this year with the release of Rosemead.
Liu gives the most personal, dramatic performance of her career in Rosemead, and has been earning raves everywhere it has been shown. Based on a true story, the film centers on Irene Chao, a Chinese-American widow and mother with terminal cancer, as she tries to find help for her mentally ill son Joe (Lawrence Shou) before her time runs out.
The film deals with subjects we don’t see presented on the big screen very often, such as mental illness in the Chinese community, where it is frequently seen as shameful. Irene also grapples with a language barrier that makes getting help from the government complicated.
These issues were key to Liu’s involvement, and she wanted to see them presented authentically. The film also allowed her to speak Mandarin, something she hadn’t done in years and never as an actor.
I was fortunate to spend a few minutes talking to Lucy Liu about Rosemead. I have been such a big fan of hers for so long that this was a real treat for me, and it was a terrific conversation on a range of topics. I hope you check it out and enjoy it.
You can find the interview below, and my review of Rosemead here. Be sure to Like, Share, and Subscribe to my YouTube channel!
