Lucy Liu: Action Woman

Lucy Liu enjoys working in action films because it gives her the chance to show off martial arts skills she learned as a kid.

The actress was eager to jump into fight scenes when she was starting out in Hollywood but she was never allowed to get involved until Mel Gibson suggested her for a fight scene in "Payback."

And now there's no stopping the former "Ally McBeal" actress.

She says, "I started doing stick fighting as a hobby when I was a kid. I enjoyed it, but like an aerobics class or a yoga class I didn't go every day.

"Then I was unemployed at the beginning of my career, so I could go four or five times a week. I became quite good.

"I did it really to stay in shape, but as I started progressing in my career I did this episode of "Hercules" and I took my sticks with me and showed them some of the tricks I could do. I got the job.

"Then I came up with a few moves with Mel in "Payback." It looked good. I like being accepted by the audience as the action woman."