Jump to content

Lisa Lu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In thisChinese name,thefamily nameisLu.
Lisa Lu
Lư yến
Lu in 2007
Born
Lu Pingxiang (Lư bình hương)[citation needed]

(1927-01-19)January 19, 1927(age 97)
Beijing,Republic of China
CitizenshipUnited States
OccupationActress
Years active1958–present
SpouseShelling Hwong
Children3, includingLucia Hwong
AwardsFull list
Chinese name
Traditional ChineseLư yến
Simplified ChineseLư yến
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional ChineseLư bình hương
Simplified ChineseLư bình hương

Lisa Lu Yan[a](bornLu Pingxiang[b];January 19, 1927) is aChinese-Americanactress. She has worked extensively inHong Kong,American,andmainland Chinesefilm and television since her debut in 1958.[1]She won theGolden Horse Awardsthree times, twice forBest Leading Actressand once forBest Supporting Actress,in the 1970s. She is the only person who is a member of both theHollywood Foreign Press Associationand theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2]

Lisa Lu in 1960

Early life and education[edit]

Lu was born inBeijingin 1927,[3]and was the adopted daughter of noted Chinese opera (Kunqu) performerMei Lanfang.Her mother, Li Guifen, was also a Kunqu singer. Lu followed her parents footsteps and began performing in Kunqu as a teenager. She attended a primary school run by English missionaries, and became adept in the English language from an early age.[4]

She attendedSt. John's University, Shanghai,however her studies were interrupted by theChinese Civil Warand she and her family moved toTaiwan.She studied business administration atNational Chiao Tung University,and then financial management at theUniversity of Hawaiʻi,as well as drama and speech. During her studies, she worked as an accountant, laboratory technician radio announcer, and translator inHonolulu.[5]

In 1956, Lu and her family moved toLos Angeles,and she joined thePasadena Playhouse.She made her professional stage debut in 1958, in a production ofThe Teahouse of the August Moon.

Career[edit]

During the 1958–59 television season, she had a recurring role as Miss Mandarin on the cult western showYancy Derringer,set in New Orleans in 1868. In 1961 she had a recurring role as "Hey Girl" on the television seriesHave Gun – Will Travel.She made numerous other appearances on television, with guest starring roles onBonanza,The Big Valley,The Richard Boone Show,The Virginian,Hawaiian Eye,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,The Rebel,Cheyenne,Bat Masterson,Kentucky Jones,and other shows.

In 1960, she was the female lead in the antiwar filmThe Mountain Road,which starredJames Stewartand which was based on the novel of the same name by the China war correspondentTheodore H. White.Her film career took off in the 1970s with supporting roles in films likeDemon SeedandPeter Bogdanovich'sSaint Jack.During this time she achieved prominence in the Mandarin-languageHong Kong film industry,winning two Best ActressGolden Horse Awardsfor the filmsThe 14 AmazonsandThe Last Tempest.

She became known during this time for playing the QingEmpress Dowager Cixi,inThe Empress DowagerandThe Last Tempest,which would become her signature role. Years later, she would play the same character in the Best Picture Oscar-winning filmThe Last Emperor(1987) and the Chinese television seriesQianlong Dynasty.

For the remainder of her career, Lu alternated between theatre and film. She may be best known byEnglish-speakingaudiences for her roles in the 1988 TV miniseriesNoble House,and the filmsThe Last Emperor(1987),The Joy Luck Club(1993), andCrazy Rich Asians(2018).[6]

Lu also attempted to popularise Chinese opera in the United States, touring universities and performing in English.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Lu was married to Shelling Hwong until his death in 1996. They had three children, including composerLucia Hwong.[8]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Panda and the Magic Serpent Bai-Niang
1960 The Mountain Road Madame Sue-mei Hung [9]
1962 Rider on a Dead Horse Ming Kwai
Womanhunt Li Sheng [10]
1970 The Arch(Đổng phu nhân) Madame Tung or Madam Dong Won—Golden Horse Awardfor Best Actress.[11][12]
1972 The 14 Amazons(Thập tứ nữ anh hào) She Saihua Won—Golden Horse Awardfor Best Supporting Actress
1973 Terror in the Wax Museum Madame Yang
1975 The Empress Dowager(Khuynh quốc khuynh thành) Empress Dowager Cixi Won—Golden Horse Awardfor Best Actress
1976 The Last Tempest(Doanh đài khấp huyết) Empress Dowager Cixi
The Star(Tinh ngữ) Chen Lianyu
1977 The Eternal Love(Vĩnh hằng đích ái)
Demon Seed Soon Yen
1979 Saint Jack Mrs. Yates
1982 Hammett Miss Cameron's Assistant
Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder Sister Marie
1983 Sewing Woman Narrator Short.[13]
1986 Tai-Pan Ah Gip
1987 The Last Emperor(Mạt đại hoàng đế phổ nghi) Empress Dowager Cixi
1989 The Last Aristocrats(Tối hậu đích quý tộc) Li' mother [14]
The Heroine in Northeast(Quan đông nữ hiệp) Yi Pinhong
1990 Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes Mrs. Sato
1993 The Joy Luck Club An-mei Hsu [6]
Temptation of a Monk(Dụ tăng) Shi's Mother
1994 I Love Trouble Mrs. Virginia Hervey [15]
1998 Blindness Mrs. Hong
2000 Sworn Revenge(Chàng quỷ nhĩ chi huyết quang chi tai) Ling
2002 Tomato and Eggs Mrs. Wang
2005 Beauty Remains(Mỹ nhân y cựu) Woman gambler
2006 The Postmodern Life of My Aunt(Di mụ đích hậu hiện đại sinh hoạt) Mrs. Shui Nominated—Chinese Film Media Awardfor Best Supporting Actress
2007 Invisible Target(Nam nhi bổn sắc) Wai King-ho's grandmother Cameo
Lust, Caution(Sắc, giới) Mahjong partner of Aunt
2009 Dim Sum Funeral Mrs. Xiao
2012 Grandmother Sonam
2010 Somewhere Chinese journalist [16]
Apart Together(Đoàn viên) Qiao Yu'e
2012 Dangerous Liaisons(Nguy hiểm quan hệ) Madam Du Ruixue
2018 Crazy Rich Asians Shang Su Yi
2023 Rally Road Racers Granny Bai Voice role[17]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Have Gun - Will Travel- "Hey Boy's Revenge" Kim Li Hey Boy's sister
1959 Bachelor Father- "Peter Meets his Match" & "Peter Gets Jury Notice" Linda Toy Love interest for Peter Tong (Sammee Tong)
1960 The Rebel- "Blind Marriage" Quong Lia Played daughter of Quong Lee (Philip Ahn)
1960 Have Gun - Will Travel- Recurring Role (Season 4) Hey Girl Unknown if this character is still Hey Boy's sister
1961 Bonanza-"Day of the Dragon" Su Ling Appeared alongside Philip Ahn,Benson Fong,Richard Loo,andVictor Sen Yung
1961 The Dick Powell Show- "Three Soldiers" The Prisoner
1961 Bat Masterson- "Terror of the Trinity" Hsieh-Lin
1962 Cheyenne- "Pocket Full of Stars" Mei Ling
1964 My Three Sons
"The Lotus Blossom"
1965 Kentucky Jones- "The Victim" Su Ling
1968 The Big Valley- "Run of the Cat" Chinese girl
1970 Mission: Impossible- "Butterfly" Mioshi Kellem
1986 China Hand
1988 Noble House Ah Tam
2001 NYPD Blue- "Fools Russian"
2002 Qianlong Dynasty(Càn long vương triều) Empress Dowager Chongqing
2011
2012
2015		 General Hospital Mrs. Yi
2023 American Born Chinese Ni Yang Episode: "Rockstar Status"
2024 Death and Other Details Celia Chun

Recordings[edit]

  • The Reunion, a Peking Opera. with Lisa Lu and K.S. Chen, Lyrichord, 1972

Awards[edit]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1970 8th Golden Horse Awards Best Actress The Arch Won
1972 10th Golden Horse Awards Best Supporting Actress The 14 Amazons Won
1975 12th Golden Horse Awards Best Actress The Empress Dowager Won
2018 4th Annual Asian World Film Festival Snow Leopard Life Achievement Award Herself Won[3]
2019 9th The Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Crazy Rich Asians Won[18]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"When a young Lisa Lu acted opposite James Stewart and Marlon Brando".South China Morning Post.November 26, 2023.RetrievedDecember 5,2023.
  2. ^"Golden Globes Analysis: Plenty of Wins and Controversy to Go Around".The Hollywood Reporter.March 2021.
  3. ^abXu, Ting Ting (November 2, 2018)."Lisa Lu Honored with Lifetime Achievement at Asian World Film Festival".goldenglobes.com.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  4. ^"Lão thượng hải đích nữ tính hữu chủng đặc biệt đích phong độ".Đông phương tảo báo(in Chinese). September 18, 2013.
  5. ^"Giao thông đại học nam gia châu giáo hữu hội -- lư yến học trường giản giới".June 21, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon June 21, 2006.RetrievedDecember 7,2023.
  6. ^abPassafiume, Andrea (August 8, 2017)."The Joy Luck Club".Turner Classic Movies.RetrievedMay 20,2018.
  7. ^Lisa Odham Stokes,Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema(2007), pg. 295.
  8. ^"Lisa Lu".tcm.com.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.(incorrect birth date of December 5, 1931)
  9. ^"The Mountain Road (1960)".tcm.turner.com. 1960.RetrievedAugust 23,2019.
  10. ^"Woman Hunt (1962)".tcm.com. 1962.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  11. ^"Film - The Arch".sffs.org.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  12. ^"The Arch (1970)".hkmdb.com. October 14, 1970.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  13. ^"Sewing Woman".deepfocusproductions.com. 1982.RetrievedAugust 23,2019.
  14. ^"The Last Aristocrats (1989)".IMDb.1989.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  15. ^"I Love Trouble (1994)".IMDb.1994.RetrievedAugust 23,2019.
  16. ^"Somewhere (2010)".IMDb.2010.RetrievedAugust 22,2019.
  17. ^Grobar, Matt (March 27, 2023)."Viva Kids Takes North America On Animated Family Film 'Rally Road Racers' With Jimmy O. Yang, J.K. Simmons, Chloe Bennet & More".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 27,2023.
  18. ^"Outstanding Achievement in Cinema – CRAZY RICH ASIANS".The Asian Awards.RetrievedOctober 28,2019.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^simplified Chinese:Lư yến;traditional Chinese:Lư yến;pinyin:Lú Yàn
  2. ^Chinese:Lư bình hương;pinyin:Lú Píng Xiāng

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLisa Lu.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lisa_Lu&oldid=1225248479"