Just when the hit series Ally McBeal was becoming predictable in its unpredictability, a litigious powerhouse named Ling Woo turned the show on its head. She's played by actor Lucy Liu.

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Liu grew up in Queens. She attended NYU and later the University of Michigan, where she majored in Asian languages and cultures. During her senior year, Liu auditioned for a supporting role in Andre Gregory's stage adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Instead, she won the lead, and her acting career was born.

Liu's work in theater productions, including M. Butterfly, led to guest appearances on NYPD Blue, The X-Files and LA Law. A role on ER brought her to the attention of Ally McBeal creator David Kelley, who was searching for new characters and story lines. He immediately cast Liu in a supporting role.

Liu has parlayed her exposure on the show into a growing movie career, including a memorable role as a dominatrix opposite Mel Gibson in Payback. "I read the script," she said, "and thought it was dark and interesting." She has also appeared in Clint Eastwood's True Crime and in Molly with Elisabeth Shue.

Liu still finds time for stage work as a member of Los Angeles' Met Theater Development Ensemble. And, she's an accomplished fine artist who has had solo shows in Soho and Venice, California.

Robert Crane caught up with the indefatigable Liu on the set of Ally McBeal in Los Angeles. He reports: "Liu changed into a skimpy leather ensemble for her role as Ling Woo and asked me to zip her up. It was my pleasure. While we sat in her dressing room, she constantly tugged at her skirt as she became more animated and vocal. The frequent interruptions by makeup artists, assistant directors, personal assistants and a boyfriend with two dogs didn't affect Liu's stream of thought. She's beautiful, determined and opinionated, and she has a great pair of legs, which she attributes to climbing--rock climbing."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: Ling Woo, the character you play on Ally McBeal, has been responsible for some innovative TV moments, such as licking Richard Fish's lips. For what other breakthroughs do you want to be responsible?

Lucy Liu: Ling has done a lot of stuff. She's licked lips, she's sucked fingers and she's given hair jobs. I don't know how David Kelley comes up with these things. They are now the mark of Ling. She definitely has a lot of other things up her sleeve. She's trying to show Fish a little more about foreplay. I think there's also a power struggle between Ling and Fish: He wants to have intercourse and she doesn't want to--to the extent that she's trying to prove a point. She has to stand strong. She might have a lot of other things in store before she gives it up to him. It makes it a little more interesting. I think the tension will build--at least for him.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: You're a martial artist, fine artist, accordion player, rock climber. What do you have against being lazy?

Lucy Liu: Sometimes I'm lazy, but I always have something creative I want to do or work on. It's nice to lounge around the house. But if you're an artist, you got to have some fucking money. You work at McDonald's if you have to. You got to earn some money so you have confidence when you walk into a room and present yourself. Success is definitely a point of view, but success to me is just like, Hey, guess what? I'm paying my own rent. I went out and bought this food. I used to get up at three or four o'clock in the morning to make omelettes for people just so I could have some money. Believe me, I didn't want to do that. It wasn't a great job, but I did it. I'm a firm believer in not living off somebody else. I'm really independent that way, and I hope I remain that way. Get off your ass is what I would say.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: What's the most enduring myth about Asian women?

Lucy Liu: That our vaginas are slit a different way. That's the major one. Mine is, however, and I'm proud of it. It's a nice discovery, but now that you're printing it, nobody will be curious anymore.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: Defend that most maligned instrument--the accordion.

Lucy Liu: Defend it? There's nothing to defend! It's an instrument that breathes with you. You control the sound, you create the energy, you determine how loud it is. The emotional backing of the instrument is something you create also, depending on how much you pull and push and how much you breathe with it. Somebody can play one song completely flat, and someone else can play it with so much emotion you're on the verge of tears. It's something you create. It's like a part of you--as opposed to a guitar or a flute. Go blow on that!

Q 5

PLAYBOY: Rock climbing: You climb like crazy, then you come down. Are we missing something?

Lucy Liu: I understand why people do extreme sports: They give you a feeling you can't match. It's close to death. It's so dangerous that you get a certain high from it. Once you get that high, there's nothing you can replace it with. I lived in New York all my life and was never athletic. I came out here and I started doing things I'd never done before, like hiking and roller-skating. Women are better climbers than men, generally, because men usually try to muscle their way up with their arms. By the time they're a quarter of the way up they are exhausted and they've blown themselves out. Women usually have stronger legs. It's called the four points--if your four points are even, then your energy is dispersed in a good way. It's a Zen way of working out. You feel like you're reaching a goal. You have to try it to understand it. It's actually a really safe sport if you do it right, because you're completely locked into the rock. If you do fall, you should be hanging--everything should be attached.