Lucy Liu may be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but her 8-year-old son, Rockwell, is not very familiar with her body of work.
“He’s still young, age-wise. He’s not quite understanding [of what I do],” Liu, 55, exclusively told Us Weekly at the 2024 Gold Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 11. “As far as he knows, I’ve done voiceovers for characters and that’s really cool. But some of the things that I’ve done, I don’t think he’s [ready]. He hasn’t seen any live action yet, let’s put it that way.”
Some of those projects include the early 2000s Charlie’s Angels films, in which Liu starred alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz as the titular spies. “You know, somebody said that, ‘Oh, this happened where, you know, she doesn’t survive and he doesn’t want to watch that right now,’” Liu told Us. “I realized that it’s his imagination on the surface for him to actually experience that.”
Liu welcomed her son via surrogate in August 2015. “Introducing the new little man in my life, my son Rockwell Lloyd Liu,” she captioned a sweet Instagram snap of herself holding her baby boy. “In ❤️!” A rep for Liu also confirmed to Us that both she and Rockwell were “happy and healthy.”
Liu has primarily kept her family life out of the public eye over the years but has shared a few glimpses into her relationship with her son. “Being a mother makes my world so colorful. My son opens my eyes to the beauty of being present every day – Nature in its purest form,” she captioned Instagram pics of herself and Rockwell playing at the beach in May 2022. “Thank you to all the Mothers who exemplify strength and selflessness. You inspire me to no end. Happy Mother’s Day 🥰.”
She recently shared another rare pic of Rockwell as they celebrated Mother’s Day by attending an Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration at the White House.
“Best Mother’s Day gift – being in the Rose Garden, standing with VP Kamala Harris, and introducing President Joe Biden!” Liu captioned a Monday, May 13, Instagram slideshow, the first slide of which featured a snap of her and Rockwell. “Sharing this moment with my little one by my side was the cherry on top. 🤗 Thank you for inviting us to this unforgettable event celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month. My heart is bursting with pride.”
Liu walked the red carpet sans her son at Saturday’s Gold Gala. The actress sported a chic strapless gray dress with a black waistband for the event, which she paired with black strappy heels and several pieces of gold jewelry. Glowing in natural glam makeup, Liu told Us that her No. 1 wellness tip is that “less is more.”
Liu was also honored with the night’s Gold Legend award in recognition of her Hollywood career. “I feel like it’s been very lonely and I wish so much that there was more encouragement from my family, because just a little bit goes so long in where you’re going, in your journey,” she said of being an Asian-American actress in her acceptance speech, per Deadline. “It’s hard when you’re the first person in the room; when you’re the only person that is different. And we are here now and we are collectively special because of that.”
With reporting by Lanae Brody