Poppy Liu Steps Into Hollywood’s Spotlight

The Chinese American actress grows her stature with breakout roles in HBO’s Hacks and Netflix’s His & Hers.

Amongst the many rising Asian American actors reshaping Hollywood, Poppy Liu is one name that deserves recognition as she begins to step into the spotlight.

Born in Xi’an, China, Poppy Liu moved to the United States with her family when she was just two years old. When she was 14 her family moved back to China and she attended an international school in Shanghai which is where her interest in performing emerged. Liu participated in Chinese dance, theater, and ballet and later attended Colgate University in New York where she majored in women’s studies and theater.

After graduating in 2013, Liu wanted to create a platform that focused on destigmatizing conversations about sexuality and identity, so she founded her own production company called Collective Sex. In 2018 she went on a college campus tour to share her very first short film Names of Women, which was developed with an all-female crew and based on Liu’s own personal story.

Liu began to score television projects soon after her short film release, with appearances in popular shows like New Amsterdam and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, then later earned recurring roles in Sunnyside, iCarly, and Better Call Saul. Her breakout moment, however, came from her stylish part as Kiki in the Emmy-winning HBO series Hacks, giving her the exposure she needed to elevate her profile within the industry.

This year Liu appeared in Netflix’s most recent thriller His & Hers, a series that quickly reached the platform’s Number 1 spot in TV Shows. Poppy Liu portrays Helen Wang, a school headmistress whose character becomes a critical piece to the murder mystery that unfolds. The success of the series solidified Liu’s versatility, proving that she can transition between comedy, drama, and thriller on the global streaming stage.

As Hollywood continues to evolve, Poppy Liu is expanding her resume and her audience, playing her part in shaping what the next era of representation will look like.