Lucy Liu: One Outstanding Humanitarian
Lucy Liu: Consummate Actress, Outstanding Humanitarian
Interview by Deepak Chopra
When most hear the name Lucy Liu, they think of an incredible actress and movie star, but Lucy Liu’s star shines brightest in her life-long devotion towards service to others.
From the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award, Woman’s World Award for Outstanding Humanitarian, Champion of Peace Award to being a longtime UNICEF ambassador, Lucy Liu’s heart & actions reach far beyond the digital screen.
Lucy Liu was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. In high school, she adopted a middle name, Alexis. She is the youngest of three children. Her parents worked many jobs when Lucy and her siblings were growing up. Lucy Liu ‘s parents originally came from Beijing and Shanghai and emigrated to Taiwan before meeting in New York. Lucy Liu has stated that she grew up in a “diverse” neighborhood. She learned to speak Mandarin at home and began studying English when she was 5.She studied kali-eskrima-silat as a hobby when she was young. She later enrolled at New York University and transferred to the University Of Michigan School Of Music, Theater & Dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Lucy Liu had previously presented her artwork under a pseudonym, Yu Ling (which is her Chinese name). Lucy Liu, who is an artist in several media, has had several gallery shows showcasing her collage, paintings, and photography. She began doing collage mixed media when she was 16 years old, and became a photographer and painter. Liu attended the New York Studio School for drawing, painting, and sculpture from 2004 to 2006.
In September 2006, Lucy Liu held an art show and donated her share of the profits to UNICEF. She also had another show in 2008 in Munich. Her painting “Escape” was incorporated into Montblanc’s Cutting Edge Art Collection and was shown during Art Basel Miami 2008, which showed works by contemporary American artists. Lucy Liu has stated that she donated her share of the profits from the NYC Milk Gallery show to UNICEF. In London, portion of the proceeds from her book Seventy Two went to UNICEF.
Lucy Liu is a supporter of marriage equality for gays and lesbians, and became a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign in 2011. She has teamed up with Heinz to combat the widespread global health threat of iron deficiency anemia and vitamin and mineral malnutrition among infants and children in the developing world.
