Lucy Liu became a household name starring in Charlie’s Angels , the action-comedy film alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, and the television series Ally McBeal . Although she has appeared in Kill Bill , Payback , Chicago and lent her voice to a character in Kung Fu Panda , Liu is currently making Asian-Americans proud playing Joan Watson in the Sherlock Holmes-inspired series Elementary . Offered a role that’s traditionally played by men (John Watson), Liu not only represents strong, professional women, but also Asian-Americans who are portrayed without perpetuating harmful stereotypes. She discusses her role in the series as a director and actor in an email interview.
How is it working with Jonny Lee Miller?
JLM is like no one else. He is smart, talented and has a remarkable ability to create a character and an internal life for that character. He has a facility with language that inspires me, and I am in awe of his ability to learn the dialogue with the precision that he does.
You bring two special characteristics to the show — your gender and your race is different from that of the original John Watson. Do you think you have more responsibility portraying Watson?
I love all the characters I play and I’m responsible to them in expressing their journeys in an accurate and emotionally rich way. I love that Rob Doherty and CBS wanted a woman and that they saw my gender and/or race as a wonderful opportunity to tell new stories and not as an obstacle or something we needed to billboard.
Did you watch the British version by Moffat to prepare for this role?
I watched and read the whole Sherlock cannon when I decided to do Elementary . I felt I needed to be immersed in the history of the legend of Sherlock Holmes. What is so amazing and interesting to me is that the novels and stories are so vast and deeply rich, as to allow so many versions of these characters to exist without overlapping.
Will there ever be a possibility of Sherlock and Joan getting together?
No! Sherlock and Joan get together for work only. They have a common bond in solving problems and figuring out crimes and helping each other professionally. Their connection is their friendship and their passion for solving crimes.
You’ve directed two Elementary episodes — how difficult or different is it from acting? Will we see you writing your own series?
Directing is a fun challenge. It is an opportunity to see the show through each character’s eyes and to see the entirety of the whole world of our show. I get to collaborate with all the creative departments to tell our story for that episode. When you’re acting, you are very focused on your characters’ needs, what drives them and what their goals and desires are.
You live in that character’s shoes and are selfish on their behalf. When you direct, you have to have to zoom out and see that world as a macrocosm and do what is best for that world.
How important is it to have diverse actors in TV shows? Do you think American TV shows need to do more to be inclusive of diversity?
Diversity in film and television is critical as it reflects the reality of our lives. The world is diverse and that is not changing, so entertainment has to catch up with the audience. It’s very important that we are inclusive and that the worlds we experience on television are reflected in the world in which we live.
A show set in a city should have all colours and shapes. It’s vital that we present visions of characters as we experience in life.
Elementary , Season 4, premieres on November 22, Sunday at 10 p.m. on AXN
