>> WHAT A NICE CROWD.
I'M GREAT.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING ON.
WE ONLY MET ONCE BRIEFLY A WHILE AGO.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE AT ZAC POSEN'S FASHION HOUSE GETTING
FITTED FOR A BEAUTIFUL DRESS.
>> AND YOU GUYS HAD JUST-- YOU AND YOUR WIFE HAD JUST GONE FOR
YOUR FITTING.
>> Stephen: I WAS BEING FITTED FOR SOMETHING SLINKY.
>> A GIRDLE.
YOU HAD JUST GOTTEN THE JOB SO IT WAS REALLY EXCITED.
YOU SAID YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.
>> Stephen: NO, I STILL DON'T KNOW ENTIRELY WHAT I'VE GOTTEN
MYSELF INTO.
BUT WE'RE JUST CHUGGING AWAY.
I FOUND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT YOU SHORTLY BEFORE YOU CAME OUT
HERE.
WE OF COURSE KNOW YOU AS AN ACTRESS.
YOU STARTED OFF AS A MUSICIAN.
AND YOUR INSTRUMENT WAS NOT ONE I WOULD IMMEDIATELY ASSOCIATE
WITH A SAMURAI ASSASSIN.
>> FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THE MUSICIAN TITLE
IS A LITTLE GENEROUS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> I PLAYED THE ACCORDION FOR A LITTLE BIT.
>> Stephen: WOW.
WHY THE.
>> BUT I AM NOT -- >> Stephen: WHY THE ACCORDIAN?
>> NOT A MUSICIAN.
>> Stephen: THAT IS A SEXY INSTRUMENT.
>> VERY HOT.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
>> VERY HOT.
>> Stephen: WHY ACCORDION?
>> BECAUSE I'M FLAT CHESTED.
JUST KIDDING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET YOUR BOOBS CAUGHT-- I'M JUST
KIDDING.
WHEN MY FATHER WOULD GO TO WORK ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN WE WERE
YOUNGER, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY-- LIKE, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HELP,
SO HE WOULD TAKE MY BROTHER AND I AND DROP US OFF AT THIS MUSIC
STORE, AND THOARPZ THE OPTIONS.
SO MY BROTHER-- MY BROTHER TOOK THE GUITAR, AND I PLAYED THE
ACCORDIAN.
>> Stephen: I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE ALSO A VISUAL
ARTIST.
DO YOU HIDE THIS UNDER A BURBLE?
I HAD NO IDEA.
SHE'S ARE QUITE BEAUTIFUL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I LOVE THIS ONE DOWN HERE.
CAN WE ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT?
THIS IS LIKE TWO LOVERS INSIDE A BURRITO, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT
IS.
>> A CHIPOTLE BIEWR ITO.
>> Stephen: THERE'S A MOTIF WITH SOME OF THESE.
THIS ONE UP HERE, AND THIS ONE OVER HERE, AND THIS ONE TO A
CERTAIN EXTENT, THEY'RE ALL SPINES.
>> THIS PARTICULAR SERIES WAS A SERIES ABOUT SPINES THAT I HAD--
IT WAS SORT OF MOTIF OR THE IDEA THAT I WAS GOING FOR AT THE
TIME, WHICH WAS HOW, YOU KNOW, THE DIVERSITY AND THE DIFFERENT
FAITHS THAT WE HAVE AND THE DIFFERENT DISCONNECTS THAT
PEOPLE END UP HAVING.
BUT WE'RE ALL SORT OF MADE UP OF THE SAME MATERIAL.
AND, ALSO, THE IDEA THAT HISTORICALLY YOU THINK THAT
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE BACK OR SHOULDER PROBLEMS BUT THERE ARE
EMOTIONAL THIKS YOU RETAIN IN YOUR BODY, SO IT BECOMES AN
EMOTIONAL ISSUE RATHER THAN A PHYSICAL ISSUE, SO IT'S
CONNECTED.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T ACTUALLY DO THIS WORK UNDER YOUR OWN
NAME.
>> I DO NOW.
BUT AT ONE POINT I HAD ACTUALLY A PSEUDONYM.
I USED MY CHINESE NAME.
IT WAS STILL MY NAME -- >> Stephen: WHAT IS YOUR
CHINESE JAIM?
>> YEULING.
I USED THAT TO DISPLAY MY ART SO PEOPLE WOULD COME IN WITH AN
OPEN MIND.
>> Stephen: INSTEAD OF SAYING THIS WAS A LUCY LIU PAINTING.
THIS IS YEULING.
>> I WANTED IT A BLANK SLATE.
COMING IN WITH THE "UNNAMING OF NAMES."
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT.
>> Stephen: I HAVEN'T.
>> DAOISM IS THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHY ABOUT THE UNNAMING OF
NAMES.
YOU DON'T SAY, "THIS IS A MUG."
, YOU KNOW, "THESE ARE GLASSES," OR "THIS IS STEPHEN," SO YOU
DON'T COME IN WITH ANY PRECONCEIVED IDEAS OF A FORK OR
TABLE OR WHAT THIS MAN IS GOING TO BE-- MAN, OR WOMAN OR
CAUCASIAN OR ASIAN, WHATEVER IT IS.
YOU COME IN WITH A COMPLETELY BLANK SLATE.
YOU TAKE THE NAME AND THE MEANING OUT OF IT SO YOU COME IN
WITH A COMPLETELY OPEN IDEA YOU.
>> Stephen: HAVE SORT OF DONE THAT WITH WATSON, TOO, BECAUSE
YOU'RE A FEMALE WATSON.
I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE HESITANT TO TAKE THAT ROLE TO BEGIN WITH.
WHY?
>> I JUST WASN'T SURE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WATSON WAS GOING.
BECAUSE ROB DOUGHERTY, WHO I ABSOLUTELY ADORE AND LOVE--
LIKE, I HADN'T MET HIM AT THE TIME, BUT I READ THE SCRIPT, AND
THE IDEA OF THIS PARTICULAR INCARNATION WAS THAT-- OR THE
ITERATION OF THIS WAS THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE A SOBER
COMPANION, YOU KNOW,.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE HE HAS A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM.
>> YEAH, SO SHE WAS GOING TO HELP KEEP HIM ON THE RIGHT
TRACK.
SO YOU'RE MORE OF AN OBSERVER AND A WITNESS.
AND MY CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN VERY, YOU
KNOW, VIVACIOUS AND, YOU KNOW, OUTSPOKEN.
>> Stephen: AND DANGEROUS.
>> DANGEROUS.
YEAH.
SHE WAS NOT THAT DANGEROUS SO I WAS SORT OF LIKE WHERE AM I
GOING TO GO WITH THIS?
AFTER I MET ROB AND CARL, THE PRODUCER, I REALLY UNDERSTOOD--
YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ANYTHING, I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD
ANYTHING.
I JUST FELT A VERY STRONG TRUST AND A CONNECTION TO HIM, AND
THEN I SORT OF JUST GAVE MYSELF OVER TO IT AND HAVE BEEN
EXPLORING.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS THE MOST PATIENT CHARACTER THAT I
HAVE EVER PLAYED TO DATE.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE SHE HAS TO PUT UP WITH A LOT OF CRAP?
>> SHE HAS TO PUT UP--
>> Stephen: YOU GUYS ARE SOLVING CRIMES, AND I'M JUST
CURIOUS AS SOMEONE WHO IS PLAYING SOMEONE AND TALKING
ABOUT CRIMES ALL THE TIME, HAVE YOU, YOURSELF, EVER COMMITTED A
CRIME?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I MEAN, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING DASTARDLY.
I DON'T -- >> Stephen: YOU DIDN'T SAID
HOMICIDIZE.
>> SOMETHING VICIOUS.
>> Stephen: EVER STEAL ANYTHING?
>> WELL, I MEAN, MY-- MY MOM DID NOT WANT US TO HAVE SUGAR WHEN
WE WERE YOUNGER.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> SO, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A CRIME, BUT I WOULD
STEAL-- YOU KNOW, MY GRANDMOTHER HAD-- SHE LIVED IN THE BASEMENT
AND SHE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE THAT WHOLE IMMIGRANT LIKE THREE
FAMILIES UNDER ONE ROOF.
SO SHE LIVED DOWN THERE, AND I WOULD GO INTO HER ROOM AND SHE
HAD THOSE ORANGE SLICES THAT ARE COVERED WITH SUGAR.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> SO I WOULD STEAL ONE OR TWO OUT OF-- I WOULD COUNT THEM AND
SAY SHE'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL.
I WOULD TAKE THAT.
AND I WOULD STEAL SOME CASH.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: I THINK YOU BURIED THE LEAD ON THAT ONE.
I'M GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY, YEAH, THAT'S A CRIME.
>> NO, THE CASH WAS, LIKE, ONLY ALLOCATED TO GO DOWN TO THE DELI
TO BUY MORE CANDY.
SO IT WAS IN THE SAME VAIN AND THE SAME, YOU KNOW,...
( LAUGHTER ) CATEGORY.
>> Stephen: I WOULD STOP EYE WOULD STOP UNTIL YOU GET A
LAWYER HERE AT THIS POINT.
WELL, LUCY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S A PLEASURE >> Stephen: THE 6th SEASON OF
"ELEMENTARY" PREMIERES MONDAY AT ON CBS.
LUCY LIU, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH HENRY WINKLER.