Lucy Liu Explains Confronting Bill Murray Over 'Unacceptable' Insults on Charlie's Angels Set
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"It's an innate thing to do if you feel there's injustice, and I always feel that way," Liu said of speaking out against Murray's behavior publicly.
Lucy Liu is opening up about why she decided to speak out against Bill Murray on the set of Charlie's Angels.
It's been four years since the 56-year-old appeared on the Los Angeles Times' "Asian Enough" podcast where she alleged that Murray made "unacceptable" and "inexcusable" insults to her on set in 1999.
"I really didn't think about it," Liu told The Guardian about speaking out.
"I would've done that in any situation. I think when I sense something is not right, I am going to protect myself. It's an innate thing to do if you feel there's injustice, and I always feel that way," she said.
The two filmed the iconic film alongside Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore. The movie opened in theaters in 2000.
Liu noted that she is not one to stay quiet: "If I was, it would have been a much easier road. But because I've never been that person, we had to find a way. There has never been an easy road, for me and for [other Asian American actors] -- I really think it's a group effort. I would never take credit. My career has not been paved by myself."
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While Liu was making her way through the Hollywood game in the 1990s she became "aware that some situations were not safe" in the industry which helped her actively avoid them.
"I think having that sense of self saved me from a lot of probably bad situations of either being taken advantage of, or what people would think is quid pro quo. Everyone has an instinct, and I don't know that everyone listens to it, but that's one thing that I've always been able to channel and connect with," the mother of one said.
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During the 2021 interview where Liu revealed Murray's behavior on set, she did not go into details but shared that he insulted her numerous times.
"I won't get into the specifics, but it kept going on and on," Liu recalled.
"I was, like, 'Wow, he seems like he's looking straight at me.' I couldn't believe that [the comments] could be towards me, because what do I have to do with anything majorly important at that time? I literally do the look around my shoulder thing, like, who is he talking to behind me? I say, 'I'm so sorry. Are you talking to me?' And clearly he was, because then it started to become a one-on-one communication."
She went on to say that "some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it." The actress continued. "So, yes, I stood up for myself, and I don't regret it. Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, there's no need to condescend or to put other people down. And I would not stand down, and nor should I have."
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Liu's fellow Angels had her back too. Barrymore took to her daytime talk show to double down on the accusations towards Murray explaining that, "comedians can be a little dark sometimes" and Murray showed up on set "in a bad mood."
"What you have to know is how much Lucy stood up for herself and that was the great thing that came out of an unfortunate circumstance," Barrymore added. "She literally said, 'I do not accept that kind of behavior from you.' And we all supported her and backed her up and we moved forward."
The actress/daytime talk show host then explained why respect in a workplace is so important.
"If you don't feel you're being respected to speak up for yourself and to have people around you say, 'I back this person,'" Barrymore continued. "I respected her then, I respect her now. I'm proud of us as a team and a company that we didn't tiptoe on the eggshells. We dealt with it right then and there, we were strong, and we moved forward and we didn't accept anything less moving forward."
