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Ling WooA guide · fact-checked October 2026
O-Ren Ishii and Joan Watson came later. Ling Woo came first, and she is the reason the rest happened: the role a showrunner wrote from scratch because he did not want to lose the actress who auditioned.
Who is Ling Woo?
Ling Woo is a sharp, imperious attorney on Ally McBeal, David E. Kelley's Fox dramedy set at a Boston law firm, which ran from 1997 to 2002. She first appears in the second season and quickly becomes one of the show's most talked-about characters.
How the role was created
Liu had read for the part of Nelle Porter and did not get it. Rather than let her go, Kelley wrote a new character, Ling Woo, specifically for her. Ling was introduced as a guest and was made a regular once the character took off.
Why she mattered
At the time, Ling was one of the only prominent Asian-American women in a regular role on American network television, and the character drew both attention and scholarly debate for how she was written. Love her or argue with her, Ling made Liu nationally visible in a way nothing before had.
Recognition
The role brought Liu a 1999 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress, the first major awards recognition of her career and the launchpad for the film stardom that followed with Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill.
Frequently asked questions
How did Lucy Liu get the role of Ling Woo?
She auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter on Ally McBeal and did not get it; creator David E. Kelley then wrote Ling Woo specifically for her.
Did Lucy Liu get an Emmy nomination for Ally McBeal?
Yes. She received a 1999 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress for playing Ling Woo.
When did Ling Woo join Ally McBeal?
In the show's second season, first as a guest and then as a regular.
Why was Ling Woo significant?
She was one of very few prominent Asian-American women in a regular role on US network television at the time, and she made Lucy Liu a national name.