Lucy Liu gets a star on Hollywood Walk

Chinese American actress Lucy Liu, who is known for her acting in the film of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, has earned a permanent spot in the heart of viewers for her accomplishment in the entertainment industry, and that achievement was honored with an everlasting, five-point terrazzo-and-brass star along the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The 2,662nd star, dedicated on Wednesday by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to Liu in the television category, is embedded at the corner of Hollywood and Vine next to the star of Anna May Wong, the first Asian-American actress to get a Walk of Fame star.

"When I moved to Los Angeles, I actually lived on Vine Street, so it's thrilling to have Anna May Wong, who is the first Asian American actress, as my neighbor," Liu said.

"A hundred years ago, she was a pioneer while enduring racism, marginalization, and exclusion … sometimes people talk about my mainstream successes as groundbreaking for an Asian, but Asians have been making movies for a long time. They just weren't making them here because we weren't yet invited to the table. I was lucky that trailblazers, like Anna May Wong and Bruce Lee, came before me. If my body of work somehow helped bridge the gap between stereotypical roles, first given to Anna May, and mainstream success today, I am thrilled to have been a part of that process," she added.

Liu, born on Dec 2, 1968, played the role of Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal and Joan Watson in the crime-drama series Elementary.

Besides her work on television, she also earned recognition for acting in films such as Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Shanghai Noon and the Kill Bill franchise, and for voicing the part of Master Viper in the Kung Fu Panda series. Liu began her directorial career in 2015. Some of her directing credits include the movie Meena as well as episodes of Elementary.

In a ceremony Wednesday attended by many celebrities, including Liu's Charlie's Angels co-stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Demi Moore, the 50-year-old Moore gave a shoutout to Liu.

Demi Moore, whose film credits include movies such as St. Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men and Indecent Proposal, said that she first met Liu while making Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

Moore described Liu as tough but smart, with "a beautiful heart … deep, loving soul and a damn good sense of humor".

Ana Martinez, Hollywood Walk of Fame producer, said it's exciting to place Liu's star next to Anna May Wong's star, "the first Chinese American actress to grace Hollywood's film screens".

"When we place Walk of Fame stars, we love to juxtapose Hollywood's golden age icons with the role models who represent the exciting shifts taking place in the film industry whenever we can," Martinez said.

Liu's star is "going to open even more doors, and make people wake up and say, hey, I need to nominate this person or this actress. There are many I would love to see; I would love to see Michelle Yeoh nominated, Sandra Oh, they are amazing actresses, but we never receive the paperwork," Martinez told China Daily.

The idea for the Walk of Fame was first developed by E.M. Stuart, who served as the volunteer president for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1953. It has now developed into an internationally recognized Hollywood icon with about 24 induction ceremonies annually broadcast around the world.

There are now 11 Asians whose names are embedded on the sidewalk. Several of the honorees have Chinese heritage, including: Bruce Lee, Keye Luke, Anna May Wong, Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu.

Wong (1905-1961) is considered the first Chinese-American actress to gain international recognition. During a career that started in the silent film era, she often dealt with the frustration of being asked to play stereotypical Asian roles.

Wong received her star on Feb 8, 1960, and she is depicted as one of four pillars of the "Gateway to Hollywood" sculpture, alongside actresses: Dolores del Río (Hispanic American), Dorothy Dandridge (African American) and Mae West (White American).