Lisa Lu Yan (born Lu Pingxiang; January 19, 1927) is a Chinese-American actress. She has worked extensively in Hong Kong, American, and mainland Chinese film and television since her debut in 1958. She won the Golden Horse Awards three times, twice for Best Leading Actress and once for Best Supporting Actress, in the 1970s. She is the only person who is a member of both the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
On May 5, 2025, Lu became the oldest person to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Early life and education Lu was born in Beijing in 1927, and was the adopted daughter of noted Chinese opera (Kunqu) performer Mei Lanfang. Her mother, Li Guifen, was also a Kunqu singer. Lu followed in her parents footsteps and began performing in Kunqu as a teenager. She attended a primary school run by English missionaries, and became adept in the English language from an early age.
In 1945 Lu attended St. John's University, Shanghai and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. However, her studies were interrupted by the Chinese Civil War and in 1947 she and her family immigrated to the United States. She studied financial management at the University of Hawaiʻi, as well as drama and speech. During her studies, she worked as an accountant, laboratory technician, radio announcer, and translator in Honolulu.
In 1956, Lu and her family moved to Los Angeles, and she joined the Pasadena Playhouse. She made her professional stage debut in 1958, in a production of The Teahouse of the August Moon.
Career During the 1958–59 television season, she had a recurring role as Miss Mandarin on the cult western show Yancy Derringer, set in New Orleans in 1868. In 1961 she had a recurring role as "Hey Girl" on the television series Have Gun – Will Travel. She made numerous other appearances on television, with guest starring roles on Bonanza, The Big Valley, The Richard Boone Show, The Virginian, Hawaiian Eye, The Rebel, Cheyenne, Bat Masterson, Kentucky Jones, and other shows.
In 1960, she was the female lead in the antiwar film The Mountain Road, which starred James Stewart and which was based on the novel of the same name by the China war correspondent Theodore H. White. Her film career took off in the 1970s with supporting roles in films like Demon Seed and Peter Bogdanovich's Saint Jack. During this time she achieved prominence in the Mandarin-language Hong Kong film industry, winning two Best Actress Golden Horse Awards for the films The 14 Amazons and The Last Tempest.
She became known during this time for playing the Qing Empress Dowager Cixi, in The Empress Dowager and The Last Tempest, which would become her signature role. Years later, she would play the same character in the Best Picture Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor (1987) and the Chinese television series Qianlong Dynasty.
For the remainder of her career, Lu alternated between theatre and film. She may be best known by English-speaking audiences for her roles in the 1988 TV miniseries Noble House, and the films The Last Emperor (1987), The Joy Luck Club (1993), and Crazy Rich Asians (2018).
Lu also attempted to popularise Chinese opera in the United States, touring universities and performing in English.Lisa Odham Stokes, Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema (2007), pg. 295.
Personal life Lu was married to Shelling Hwong until his death in 1996. They had three children, including composer Lucia Hwong.(incorrect birth date of December 5, 1931)
Filmography Film YearTitleRole Notes/ 1958 Panda and the Magic Serpent Bai-Niang 1960 The Mountain Road Madame Sue-mei Hung 1962 Rider on a Dead Horse Ming Kwai Womanhunt Li Sheng 1970 The Arch () Madame Tung or Madam Dong Won—Golden Horse Award for Best Actress. 1972 The 14 Amazons () She Saihua Won—Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress 1973 Terror in the Wax Museum Madame Yang 1975 The Empress Dowager () Empress Dowager Cixi Won—Golden Horse Award for Best Actress 1976 The Last Tempest () Empress Dowager Cixi The Star () Chen Lianyu 1977 The Eternal Love () Demon Seed Soon Yen 1979 Saint Jack Mrs. Yates 1982 Hammett Miss Cameron's Assistant Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder Sister Marie 1983 Sewing Woman Narrator Short. 1986 Tai-Pan Ah Gip 1987 The Last Emperor () Empress Dowager Cixi 1989 The Last Aristocrats () Li' mother The Heroine in Northeast () Yi Pinhong 1990 Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes Mrs. Sato 1993 The Joy Luck Club An-mei Hsu Temptation of a Monk () Shi's Mother 1994 I Love Trouble Mrs. Virginia Hervey 1998 Blindness Mrs. Hong 2000 Sworn Revenge () Ling 2002 Tomato and Eggs Mrs. Wang 2005 Beauty Remains () Woman gambler 2006 The Postmodern Life of My Aunt () Mrs. Shui Nominated—Chinese Film Media Award for Best Supporting Actress 2007 Invisible Target () Wai King-ho's grandmother CameoLust, Caution () Mahjong partner of Aunt 2009 Dim Sum Funeral Mrs. Xiao 2012 Grandmother Sonam 2010 Somewhere Chinese journalist Apart Together () Qiao Yu'e 2012 Dangerous Liaisons () Madam Du Ruixue 2018 Crazy Rich Asians Shang Su Yi 2023 Rally Road Racers Granny Bai Voice role
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1958 Have Gun - Will Travel - "Hey Boy's Revenge" Kim Li 1958-59 Yancy Derringer Miss Mandarin Recurring role 1959 Bachelor Father - "Peter Meets his Match" & "Peter Gets Jury Notice" Linda Toy Love interest for Peter Tong (Sammee Tong) 1960 The Rebel - "Blind Marriage" Quong Lia Played daughter of Quong Lee (Philip Ahn)1960 Hawaiian Eye - "Jade Song" Lin Ming Appeared alongside George Takei 1961 Have Gun - Will Travel Hey Girl Recurring Role (Season 4) 1961 Bonanza - "Day of the Dragon" Su Ling Appeared alongside Philip Ahn, Benson Fong, Richard Loo, and Victor Sen Yung1961The Dick Powell Show - "Three Soldiers"The Prisoner1961Bat Masterson - "Terror of the Trinity "Hsieh-Lin 1962 Cheyenne - "Pocket Full of Stars" Mei Ling 1964 My Three Sons - "The Lotus Blossom" 1965 Kentucky Jones - "The Victim" Su Ling 1968 Family Affair - "The Great Kow-Tow" Betty Chang 1968 The Big Valley - "Run of the Cat" Chinese girl 1970 Mission: Impossible - "Butterfly" Mioshi Kellem 1986 China Hand 1988 Noble House Ah Tam 2001 NYPD Blue - "Fools Russian" 2002 Qianlong Dynasty () Empress Dowager Chongqing 201120122015 General Hospital Mrs. Yi 2023 American Born Chinese Ni Yang Episode: "Rockstar Status" 2024 Death and Other Details Celia Chun
Recordings The Reunion, a Peking Opera. with Lisa Lu and K.S. Chen, Lyrichord, 1972
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1970 8th Golden Horse Awards Best Actress The Arch 1972 10th Golden Horse Awards Best Supporting Actress The 14 Amazons 1975 12th Golden Horse Awards Best Actress The Empress Dowager 2018 4th Annual Asian World Film Festival Snow Leopard Life Achievement Award Herself 2019 9th The Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in CinemaCrazy Rich Asians Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 202524th New York Asian Film Festival Vanguard Award In recognition of works that has left an indelible mark on the history of cinema. Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award Hollywood Walk of FameFilmHerself
See also Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress
References
Notes
External links
her biography in Chinese Biography at Jiao Tong Universities Alumni Foundation of America