Best Of: Lucy Liu / Zadie Smith - Fresh Air Recap

Podcast: Fresh Air

Published: 2025-12-20

Duration: 49 minutes

Guests: Lucy Liu, Zadie Smith, Justin Chang

Summary

Lucy Liu discusses her role in 'Rosemead,' a film about a terminally ill mother dealing with her son's mental health crisis, while Zadie Smith reflects on aging and generational differences in her new essay collection, 'Dead and Alive.'

What Happened

Lucy Liu talks with Tonya Mosley about her new film 'Rosemead,' where she plays Irene, a terminally ill Chinese immigrant mother whose teenage son is grappling with schizophrenia and a dangerous fixation on school shootings. This role marks Liu's first dramatic lead in a feature film, and she discusses the importance of representing Asian American families in nuanced, real stories that tackle difficult subjects like mental health and terminal illness. Liu shares her experience of growing up as a child of immigrants, which involved challenges such as translating for her parents and dealing with rejection in the acting industry.

Zadie Smith joins Terry Gross to discuss her essay collection 'Dead and Alive,' which delves into themes of aging, race, and class. Smith reflects on turning 50 and the generational divides, particularly between millennials and Gen Xers. Her essays explore how language evolves over time and the inevitable passage from youth to old age, emphasizing the different perspectives each generation holds.

Film critic Justin Chang lists what he considers the best films of the year, topping his list with 'Sirat' by Oliver Lache, a survival thriller set in Morocco's desert. Chang describes 'One Battle After Another,' directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, as a standout film that creatively reimagines Thomas Pynchon's novel 'Vineland.' Other notable films include 'Caught by the Tides' by Jia Zhangke and 'Resurrection' by Began.

In a candid moment, Liu recounts how she was discovered on a subway, leading to her first commercial work, and how her early television influences shaped her desire to pursue acting despite the lack of representation she saw on screen. She also touches on her work as a director and visual artist, highlighting her international mixed media art exhibitions.

Smith shares insights from her personal life, including her parents' significant age gap and her father's experience liberating Dachau at 17. She reflects on how these family dynamics and her own experiences have shaped her worldview and writing.

Smith candidly discusses her health challenges, including macular degeneration, and an incident where she broke her leg after falling out of a window. She acknowledges the cathartic nature of writing and her melancholic disposition, which influences her creative process.

Key Insights