| Native name | 柳波 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Xi'an, China |
| Alma mater | Colgate University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Known for | Hacks |
| Website | poppyliu.com |
Poppy Liu () is a Chinese-born American actress known for her[a] roles in Sunnyside,[1] Hacks,[2] iCarly,[3] and Dead Ringers.[4]
Early life and education
Liu was born in Xi'an, China. Her family moved to Minnesota when she was two while her father earned a second PhD. The family moved back to China when Liu was 14, where she attended an international school in Shanghai. During high school, she became interested in performing, and participated in Chinese dance, ballet, and theater.[5][6]
Liu attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, and majored in women's studies and theater. She graduated in 2013.[7]
Career
After graduation, Liu founded the production company Collective Sex, with a focus eliminating stigma around sex and identity. In 2018, she premiered her short film Names of Women in New York City; it also toured across the country at college campuses and reproductive health organizations. The film was made with an all-female crew and is based on Liu's abortion story.[7][8]
In 2019, Liu had a starring role in the sitcom Sunnyside.[1] Liu has also had roles on New Amsterdam, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Better Call Saul.[9] She has a recurring role as a blackjack dealer in the 2021 HBO Max sitcom Hacks,[2] and a recurring role as Double Dutch on the 2021 Paramount+ sitcom iCarly.[10]
Liu starred as Greta Leung, assistant to the main characters the Mantle twins, in the 2023 Amazon Prime Video miniseries Dead Ringers.[11] The series won a Peabody Award.[4]
Personal life
Liu is a doula and offers free services to women of color and transgender people. Liu is queer and non-binary, and uses they/them and she/her pronouns.[12][13] She had an abortion in 2015,[14] which inspired a short film she created.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Summon | Mannequin | Short |
| 2019 | Separation Celebration | Aldus | Short |
| Safe Among Stars | Jia | Short | |
| 2020 | Flourish | Lazer | Short |
| To Do | Steph | Short | |
| Certified Black Genius | Maisa | Short | |
| 2024 | The Tiger's Apprentice | Snake (voice) | |
| Space Cadet | Nadine Cai | ||
| 2025 | Dog Man | Butler (voice) | |
| 2026 | I Love Boosters | Jianhu | |
| What the F*ck Is My Password? | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | New Amsterdam | Amy Chiang | Episode: "Three Dots" |
| 2018–2019 | Mercy Mistress | Mistress Yin | Main cast |
| 2019 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hannah Berkowitz | Episode: "Dearly Beloved" |
| 2019 | Sunnyside | Mei Lin | Main cast |
| 2020–2022 | Better Call Saul | Jo | Recurring cast: Season 5, Guest: Season 6 |
| 2021–2022 | iCarly | Double Dutch | Recurring cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 |
| 2021–2026 | Hacks | Kiki | Recurring cast: Season 1-2, Guest: Season 3-5 |
| 2022 | Dollface | Lotus Dragon Bebe | Episode: "Boss Lady" |
| Tales of the Walking Dead | Amy | Episode: "Amy/Dr. Everett" | |
| 2022 | Wedding Season | Mitzi Yeung | Episodes: 6,7,8 |
| 2023 | History of the World, Part II | Ehri Khan | Episode: "VII" |
| Dead Ringers | Greta Leung | Main cast | |
| American Born Chinese | Princess Iron Fan | Recurring cast | |
| The Afterparty | Grace Zhu | Main cast: Season 2 | |
| 2024 | No Good Deed | Sarah | Main cast[15] |
| 2026 | His & Hers | Helen Wang | Recurring cast |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Hacks | [16] |
Notes
- ^ Liu uses she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses she/her for consistency.
References
- ^ Henderson, Taylor (2019-10-29). "Sunnyside's Joel Kim Booster & Poppy Liu Are Queering Up Comedy". Pride.com. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Kang, Inkoo (2021-05-12). "HBO Max's 'Hacks': TV Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Thapa, Shaurya (2022-04-11). "iCarly: 10 Movies & TV Shows Where You've Seen the Cast". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "Dead Ringers". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "About". Poppy Liu. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Song, Sandra (2021-08-10). "More Poppy Liu, Please". PAPER. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ Hutton, Lauren (2019-05-16). "Collective Healing". Colgate Magazine. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ "Names of Women | short film", 2019-01-18, retrieved 2022-06-12
- ^ "LGBTQ Actors of Color to Lead Panel on Diversity And Inclusion in Film". The Advocate. 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Garrison, Anna (2022-04-07). "What Happened on Season 1 of the 'iCarly' Revival? Catch up on What You Missed Before Season 2". Distractify. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (2023-04-23). "Dead Ringers: Poppy Liu Explains the Surprising Secrets of the Prime Video Remake". Consequence. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Shatto, Rachel (2021-12-08). "How Nonbinary 'Hacks' Star Poppy Liu's Star Rose in 2021". Advocate. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Artavia, David (2019-07-14). "Poppy Liu is Queer and Asian — Get Used to It!". The Advocate. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Liu, Poppy (2022-06-24). "TLDR; I'm having a baby. I've also previously had an abortion. Fuck SCOTUS. We're gonna take care of each other no matter what."
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2023-12-15). "Netflix's 'No Good Deed' Adds Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, Abbi Jacobson & Poppy Liu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominees & Recipients". SAG-AFTRA. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
External links
- Poppy Liu at IMDb