Lucy Liu , who is on blazing promo trail for her forthcoming on-screen appearances, gives us the “New Age of Elegance” in a recent issue of More Magazine and sits down with Golden Globe winner Idris Elba for an intimate chat in Michigan Avenue Magazine !
The Emmy-nominated actress will soon star on CBS ’s Elementary with Jonny Lee Miller and The Man with the Iron Fists alongside Russell Crowe and RZA — which releases this month.
Photographed by Emre Guven for More and styled by Jonny Lichtenstein , the 43-year-old Asian beauty is wearing lavish fabrics and striking silhouettes from Michael Kors , Zac Posen and Roberto Cavalli , to name a few. The sophisticated look is topped off with a sharp cropped hairstyle by Enzo Angileri and makeup by Erin Ayanian Monroe .
For her Michigan Avenue shoot by Andrew Eccles , Lucy rocks bold metallics, elaborate floral prints, and gothic lace in looks from Tom Ford , Helmut Lang , Lanvin , and Tulle picked by. Her flowing locks are handled by Creighton Bowman and René Furterer , with makeup by Joanne Gair .
In her new interview with close friend Idris , she talks about working with Quentin Tarantino , her childhood, being a painter, attending Michigan University , being a tomboy, and so much more. Read a few excerpts and see more photos from both shoots below!
On her career success:
“You really have to risk everything—you have to take chances and take on projects that are pretty diverse. Just because you do film, don’t limit yourself. You should also do theater because it puts you out there in a terrifying way in front of a live audience and it really tests your skills. The more flexible you are, the more the longevity of your career is going to sustain itself. That’s what actors want. We don’t want to blow up for two years or five years and then be done.”
What she’s learned from Tarentino:
“To really be able to listen. When I first met him, we went to Toi, this rock ’n’ roll Thai restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. We sat down at the table, and he started describing the character of O-Ren Ishii [from Kill Bill], acting out all the parts, the fake laughs, the sound effects… and I’m there eating my pad thai, trying to eat casually, but I feel like I’m a stunned audience member. If somebody is that excited to tell you something, it really is incredible how much you can learn from him or her. You can’t replicate that kind of passion.”
On insecurities:
“I grew up as a tomboy, and if you’ve seen photographs of me as a child, you see my mother cut all of my hair off. I had no hair: Picture Sinéad O’Connor with a two-week grow-out. I was not considered feminine at all, and boys did not look at me. I was a toothpick.
I’ll show you pictures, and you’ll see I’m not lying. I never looked at myself as a feminine person. My thing was, “I’m going to be casual and be able to talk to people because I’m hanging out with the guys.” In college, I suddenly felt like I understood more about myself and started making choices on my own. I started doing things that I wanted to do and understanding what my place was in the world, and I think part of that was also embracing myself as a woman. I was smart, I could hang with the guys—I could fall into my own niche category…. But I find that if somebody finds me beautiful, it melts my heart because it’s not something I heard most of the time growing up ever.
I can easily be enticed into some terrible relationship because I’m like, “Oh, my God, you think I’m beautiful?” [Idris laughs] You know what I mean? And my friends are like, “Why did you date that ******* for so long?” I’m like, “Oh, God.” [Laughs]
It’s good when somebody gives you a compliment. Now I can discern, but before I’d get swept up because I thought, Oh, my God, this person sees me for who I am.”
Watch: ‘The Man With The Iron Fists’ Official Trailer