"Elementary" star Lucy Liu had to be pushy to get a chance to turn director on the CBS crime drama.
"It's harder for women in general. You have to ask and ask and ask. You have to break the door down. … and come in with a real belief in what you're doing," she said.
Liu directed Thursday's episode of the series in which she plays Dr. Joan Watson opposite Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes. The job required juggling acting with the demands of going behind the camera and the pace of TV production, she said.
"Television is a machine. You jump on to this conveyer belt that is going at a very quick speed, and if you can't keep up you fall off and fall hard," said Liu, who directed her first episode of "Elementary" last season.
She avoided any tumbles, she said, and is eager to repeat the experience.
Liu, whose on-screen credits include "Ally McBeal" and the films "Charlie's Angels" and "Kill Bill," said she remains enthusiastic about acting but appreciates the growth that directing and its broader view of a project can bring.
"After having directed, you really don't see things the same way anymore. You approach things with a different eye, as a different person, ultimately," Liu said.
