Lucy Liu Has No Regrets After Speaking Out About Bill Murray

Lucy Liu has no regrets about her altercation with Bill Murray on the set of Charlie’s Angels. In a profile for The Guardian, Liu opened up about the incident—in which she allegedly got physical with the comedian after he allegedly insulted her on set: “I would have done that in any situation.”

While promoting her forthcoming Steven Soderbergh film, Presence, Liu looked back on her career and how she navigated the entertainment industry in the ’90s as a women of color. She had been “aware that some situations were not safe, and not to get involved in that,” the actor told The Guardian. “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.”

A hard situation erupted between Liu and legendary comedian Murray while on the set of 2000’s Charlie’s Angels. Liu starred in the reboot as Alex Munday, completing the famed trifecta of spies with Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore, and Murray played Charlie’s assistant, Bosley. While they were rehearsing a scene together, Liu previously told a podcast, Murray allegedly said “inexcusable and unacceptable” things to the actor—allegedly insinuating that she “couldn’t act,” as noted by London’s The Times in 2009. Liu responded to Murray’s insults by allegedly throwing punches at the comedian. “I stood up for myself, and I don’t regret it,” she said on the LA Times’ Asian Enough podcast in 2021. “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.”

Murray, meanwhile, shared his take on what transpired in the Times story, saying, “Look, I will dismiss you completely if you are unprofessional and working with me. When our relationship is professional, and you’re not getting that done, forget it.”

In her more recent Guardian profile, Liu did not get into the details of what went down on set, but she stood by her actions. “I really didn’t think about it. I would have done that in any situation,” she said of her altercation with Murray. “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.”

Although Charlie’s Angels marked her first leading role in a blockbuster film, Liu was unafraid to go toe-to-toe with a veteran like Murray after feeling disrespected. As she told The Guardian, she was never the type to keep serene and play nice. “If I was, it would have been a much easier road,” she said. “But because I’ve never been that person, we had to find a way.” She’s aware of her precarious position in the industry as an Asian American actor. “I think there has never been an easy road, for me and for us—and I say ‘us’ because I really think it’s a group effort,” she said. “I would never take credit. My career has not been paved by myself.”

Liu is far from the only actor who has accused Murray of misconduct. Actors like Geena Davis and Anjelica Huston have also shared their past issues with the comedian, accusing him of allegedly lewd and rude behavior. More recently, Murray reportedly paid an approximately $100,000 settlement to a “much younger” female crew member on Aziz Ansari’s would-be feature directorial debut, Being Mortal. In April 2022, the film suspended production after the crew member filed a complaint alleging that the then 71-year-old actor straddled and kissed her while on set; it did not resume production.