Ling Woo

Ling Woo was a fictional character on the popular US sitcom Ally McBeal, from Season 2 until Season 5 and recurring in Season 5. The character was played by Asian-American actress Lucy Liu, and is widely considered to be her breakthrough role. Woo was viewed as one of the strongest comedic characters on the show.

Season One

Ling Woo was initially a character written by David E. Kelley for the actress Lucy Liu after she failed to secure the role of Nelle Porter (which went to Portia de Rossi) in "Ally McBeal". Appearing in Season 2 for the first time as a client sueing a cosmetic surgery firm, Woo became a firm favourite of fans, noted for her outrageously politically incorrect comments, acerbic put-downs and bitchy nature. Kelley was quick to invite Liu to perform another guest slot and within a few episodes she was added as a permanent cast member, revealing that she had a Law Degree in the process.

Woo quickly made enemies with the workers in the law firm, particularly Elaine Vassal(Jane Krakowski) and Georgia Thomas (Courtney Thorne-Smith). She did, however, form a romantic relationship with Richard Fish which lasted until Season Four.

Season Two and Three

As with other cast members of "Ally McBeal" in Seasons Two and Three of the show, Ling Woo did not play a major supporting role, storylines focusing on the Ally-Billy-Georgia love triangle. Unlike John Cage she took few trial cases, and was used mainly for comic relief purposes along with Elaine, Renee and Nelle. This was one fo the criticisms as the show as a whole, as it moved from being a series with a strong ensemble cast to one with primary and secondary characters.

Season Four

Season Four saw a general change in the show, with higher ratings, which involved more usage of the "secondary" characters. Ling's old love interest Jackson was employed in the firm for a time, providing some character conflict, although he later left. In this series, she also taught Ally how to kiss, pretended to be blind, helped at an old folks home and danced with Elaine in a competition.

Season Five

Lucy Liu expressed wishes to leave "Ally McBeal" in Series Five; and so Ling was written out, becoming a judge, an event which had high comic value and which Elaine declared to be "a joke on mankind." After a few first episodes as a star, Liu was dropped from the main cast and the opening credits. She did return to Cage & Fish to help her friend Nelle and to see Richard (who she no longer dated). The popularity of the show declined afterwards. Some contributed this to the loss of such a hugely popular character. It's more likely, however, that the show had simply run out of steam, with a burden of several new characters, most of whom were dropped halfway through the season, and slightly ridiculous storylines.

The character of Ling Woo did not return after that guest star spot. The last show was welve episodes afterwards, and although Liu said afterwards that she wished to appear along with other written out characters like Georgia, Renee and Billy, she was not allowed. Producers said her appearance was likely to jeopardise Richard's happy ending with Liza.

Character Quotes

• "I like being the defendant. It gives me a martyr glow."

• "Would you be quiet? Some of us have eardrums." - to a sufferer of Tourette's Syndrome.