Rise to Fame
David E. Kelley didn't just cast her in Ally McBeal. He invented a character for her after she auditioned for a role she didn't get. Ling Woo turned into one of the sharpest comic foils on early 2000s TV, and Liu earned an Emmy nomination in 1999. Charlie's Angels the following year made her a movie star, grossing over $260 million worldwide. Then Kill Bill. By 2003 she'd gone from 'invented character' to 'Tarantino villain,' which is about as good a career arc as it gets.
In the Spotlight
Rosemead is the pivot. She produced and stars in a film about a terminally ill widow managing her son's schizophrenia, and it won the Prix du Public at Locarno. Not a cameo. Not a franchise sequel. A project she developed and championed, landing 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and renewing critical attention. The prestige run continues with The Devil Wears Prada 2 in 2026 and Peacock's Superfakes, where she's also executive producer. She spent the early 2000s being famous. Now she's building the career she actually wants.
Side Notes
Outside of acting, she's a practicing visual artist with international exhibitions. Her limited-edition artbook Seventy Two, published in only 72 copies, draws from the 72 Names of God in Hebrew mysticism. In 2000, she became the first Asian-American woman to host Saturday Night Live, and it took 18 more years before another Asian woman (Awkwafina) got the same slot. Her son Rockwell, born via surrogate in 2015, is reportedly being raised by her solo.