Lucy Liu on rejection, "Hey Ya," and returning to Mandarin in 'Rosemead'

For nearly three decades, Lucy Liu has been one of the most recognizable faces in film and television, from her Emmy-nominated breakout as Ling Woo on Ally McBeal to the stylized violence of Kill Bill to her seven-season reinvention as Dr. Joan Watson on Elementary. Along the way, she's redefined what's possible for Asian American women in Hollywood. She's also a director, producer, and visual artist whose mixed-media work has been exhibited internationally.

In her new film Rosemead, Liu plays Irene, a terminally ill Chinese immigrant mother in California's San Gabriel Valley who discovers her teenage son's worsening schizophrenia and his fixation with mass shootings. Inspired by true events, the film explores mental illness and cultural stigma in a community where asking for help is often seen as failure. Liu spent seven years bringing it to the screen as both producer and star.

In this conversation, Liu discusses with Fresh Air cohost Tonya Mosley about the making of Rosemead, being discovered on the New York subway at 19, weathering rejection in her early career, the criticism and praise surrounding roles like Ling Woo and O-Ren Ishii, and how she fell in love with performance after seeing a Calgon commercial.