She was born and raised with her brother, Alex Liu, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York by Chinese immigrant parents. Liu has said that she grew up in a "diverse" neighborhood. Her family spoke Mandarin at home and she did not learn English until she was five years old.[citation needed] Her father, Tom, was a civil engineer and her mother, Cecilia, a biochemist, but they sacrificed those careers Read more...

Liu began acting in 1989, after auditioning for a role in the University of Michigan's production of Alice in Wonderland during her senior year. Liu was cast in the lead role, although she had originally only tried out for a supporting part. Liu had small roles in films and TV (including the "Hell Money" episode of The X-Files and "The March to Freedom" episode on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) Read more...

In a Jane interview, she indicated the possibility that she is bisexual. She is quoted as saying,

With her parents' work ethic, Liu continued, "I'm always multitasking, doing 10 things at once". She speaks English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and a little Japanese, a language she studied in preparation for her role in Kill Bill. She also rock climbs, practices martial arts, skis, and plays the Read more...