‘I am going to protect myself’: Why Lucy Liu stood up to Bill Murray on Charlie’s Angels set

Lucy Liu has opened up about her on-set dispute with co-star Bill Murray in the 2000s.

During a podcast appearance in 2021, the actress, 56, confirmed reports she fell out with Murray while filming Charlie’s Angels in 2000.

Liu alleged she spoke up for herself after Murray began to “hurl insults” and used “inexcusable and unacceptable” language while shooting a scene.

Now, in a new interview, Liu has revealed why she stood up to the actor in the moment. 

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“I really didn’t think about it,” she told The Guardian.

“I would have done that in any situation. 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.”

Liu told the publication she isn’t the type of person to stay quiet in those situations.

“If I was, it would have been a much easier road,” she said.

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 Lucy Liu attends the photocall for "Shazam! Fury Of The Gods"  at Palazzo Manfredi on March 02, 2023 in Rome, Italy.

“But because I’ve never been that person, we had to find a way.”

Speaking as an Asian American actress she added: “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.”

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Liu starred in the action comedy Charlie’s Angels and its 2003 sequel as Alex Munday.

The actress was part of the on-screen crime-fighting trio alongside fellow Hollywood A-listers Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz.

Meanwhile Murray played John Bosley in the original 2000 film.

Liu first spoke about her fallout with Murray on the LA Times’ Asian Enough podcast.

Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray and Lucy Liu on the set of Charlie's Angels.

While filming a scene, Liu recalled: “Bill starts to sort of hurl insults, and I won’t get into the specifics, but it kept going on and on.”

“I was, like, ‘Wow, he seems like he’s looking straight at me.'”

“Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it,” she said. “So, yes, I stood up for myself, and I don’t regret it.

Drew Barrymore addressed the reported incident during her talk show in 2021.

The star said: “Bill was just in a – you know, comedians can be a little dark sometimes – and he just came in in a bad mood.”

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Charlie's Angels (2000) now streaming on Stan

“What you have to know is how much Lucy stood up for herself. That was the great thing that came out of an unfortunate circumstance.”

“She literally said, ‘I do not accept that kind of behaviour from you.’ And we all supported her and backed her up and we moved forward.”

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