She received further recognition for starring in the action comedy film Charlie's Angels and its sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle , and the martial arts action film Kill Bill: Volume 1 and its sequel Kill Bill: Volume 2 Fury of the Gods , and Presence Liu starred as Dr. She also voiced Master Viper in the first three installments of the Kung Fu Panda franchise β and Silvermist in the Tinker Bell series β 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 five. Liu became interested in acting as a child, after hearing about someone her own age who had been in a television commercial. Although she had originally tried out for only a supporting role, [ 21 ] Liu was cast in the lead. While in line to audition for the musical Miss Saigon in , she told The New York Times , "There aren't many Asian roles, and it's very difficult to get your foot in the door.
Liu had small roles in films and TV, marking her debut. Law as a Chinese widow giving her evidence in Mandarin. Liu originally auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter played by Portia de Rossi , and the character Ling Woo was later created specifically for her. Liu's part on the series was originally temporary, but high audience ratings secured Liu as a permanent cast member.
In , Liu was the spokeswoman for the Lee National Denim Day fundraiser, which raises money for breast cancer research and education. While in negotiations for Kill Bill with Tarantino the two joined to help produce the Hungarian sports documentary Freedom's Fury. She also had minor roles as Kitty Baxter in the film Chicago and as a psychologist opposite Keira Knightley in the thriller Domino.
Liu had previously presented her artwork under her Chinese name, Yu Ling. In , she produced and narrated the short film The Road to Traffik , about the Cambodian author and human rights advocate Somaly Mam.
