For most people, Lucy Liu needs no introduction; her illustrious film and television career has made her a household name.
As the child of Chinese immigrants in New York City, an acting career was not what Lucy was raised to aspire to. "It was something that I wanted to do from a very young age but it was definitely not on the radar for a Chinese immigrant family" she joked with Deepak in a sit down they had for NEWSWIRE.FM's program ONE WORLD. "They were more concerned with education." But after college, Lucy moved back to New York to begin auditioning and focusing on acting.
On top of the acting projects that Lucy is involved in, she has also made her directorial debut this year with the poignant film Meena, a look into the devastating effects of the sex trade in India. Meena is based on Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn's bestselling book and movement "Half The Sky" and is a true story. The film focuses on Meena who is kidnapped by her uncle at the age of eight and sold to a brothel. "I've been working with UNICEF since 2004...and I had started originally being interested in education and nutrition and I branched out into this other very large and important aspect of what children go through," which is specifically child protection. She explained to Deepak that her film does not intend to focus on the horrors and fears of child trafficking just to draw a reaction but rather to show the strength of the children involved. "The story is about courage and it's about bravery and it's about breaking that fear." Meena is only twenty minutes long but it packs a punch. The experience is visceral and draws viewers immediately into the world of this young woman and lets them share in her struggles. It's a visual accomplishment that many directors work for years to master.
While Lucy is exploring directing and her passion for children's rights, you can still expect to see her gracing big screen. "Acting is still a huge passion for me," she told Deepak, and there's no sign of her slowing down any time soon. While her original career choices weren't one's on her parents' radar, her career is on the radar of the entire world. We can't wait to see what she does next.
Watch Lucy's ONE WORLD conversation with Deepak Chopra now on WWW.NEWSWIRE.FM.