Lucy Liu's First Major Role Was In A Forgotten '90s Sitcom With An Amazing Cast

In 1997, Lucy Liu landed her breakout role as sharp-tongued attorney Ling Woo on "Ally McBeal," a role writer-producer David E. Kelley created just for her. But before she was stealing scenes in the court room, she starred alongside "Cheers" royalty in a well-reviewed one-season wonder. Liu's first major television gig as a series regular was on a star-studded CBS comedy called "Pearl."

Premiering in 1996, the sitcom served as Rhea Perlman's big return to television just three years after wrapping her iconic run as Carla Tortelli, one of the best-ranked "Cheers" characters. Perlman starred as the titular Pearl Caraldo, a late-fortysomething widow who enrolls as a night student at Swindon University to get a college degree. There, she clashes with Stephen Pynchon (Malcolm McDowell), an elitist and pompous professor who believes a working-class mom like Pearl has no business in his classroom, so he makes her educational journey a tough one.

In the middle of this academic warfare is fellow student Amy Li, played by Liu, an intellectual overachiever who becomes part of Pearl's eclectic inner circle at the university. Alongside Liu, Perlman, and McDowell, the stacked main cast featured Carol Kane as Pearl's skeptical sister-in-law, Annie, and Dash Mihok as Pearl's unmotivated single-father son, Joey. The show also boasted a roster of notable guest stars, including Perlman's "Cheers" costar Ted Danson, Bryan Cranston, Seth Green, Nikki Cox, Kenny Rogers, and Perlman's real-life husband, "Taxi" star Danny DeVito.

In their review of "Pearl," the Sun Sentinel took issue with Liu's unfunny characterization. The Chicago Tribune echoed a similar sentiment regarding the analytical Asian trope, triggering the producers to address the stereotyping. "The character was written and performed to be Mr. Spock, someone who was purely logical," said executive producer Don Reo, according to the Sun Sentinel. "Because we cast an Asian actress in the part, it became labeled as a stereotype. In the second episode, the character will become much more fully rounded."

Aside from the concerns some critics had with Liu's character, "Pearl" earned mostly positive reviews. It currently sports a modest 73% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a few IMDb users chiming in with glowing reviews. "Rhea does superb, top-notch acting as well as Carol, Malcolm, and the rest of the crew," said user Gene-Bee. Ultimately, the comedy struggled to maintain its footing in a difficult Wednesday night timeslot. Ratings steadily declined, and CBS ultimately canceled the series after just one season and 22 episodes, wrapping its run in June 1997.

Fortunately, this paved the way for Liu's biggest breakout role in a '90s hit show no one talks about today. Just a year later, she debuted as Ling Woo on "Ally McBeal," a role that earned her an Emmy nomination and cemented her status as a bona fide Hollywood star.