USA NETWORK TAPS CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ACTRESS LUCY LIU TO DIRECT AN EPISODE OF THE THRILLING DRAMA “GRACELAND”

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. –  Critically-acclaimed, award-winning actress Lucy Liu (“Elementary”) has been tapped to direct an upcoming episode on the third season of USA Network’s edgy one-hour drama series GRACELAND.  Liu’s episode is scheduled to air on August 27 at 10/9c.

“GRACELAND is a truly gripping drama series with strong, dynamic characters and a knack for shedding light on the ‘human element’ of some very provocative storylines,” said Liu.  “As a fan of the series since its launch, I am so excited to be a part of this production and direct an episode for season three.”

Liu has achieved tremendous critical and commercial success in film, television and on Broadway.  She currently co-stars in and directed two episodes of the highly rated drama series “Elementary,” marking her television directorial debut.  In 2014, Liu directed her first short film, “MEENA,” based on a chapter from Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s bestselling book “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”  This searing short film dealt with child trafficking in India and helped to raise awareness for UNICEF’s child protection programs worldwide.  A passionate human rights advocate, Liu has been involved with UNICEF as an ambassador for the past 10 years.

Liu is represented by ICM and Framework Entertainment.

Season three of the series resumes after a deadly attack on Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit, “Les Miserables”) leaves his roommates struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy.  However, normalcy is difficult to come by in this Southern California beach house full of feds, especially after Paul Briggs gets coerced by his own agency into a high-risk cover operation within the Armenian Mafia.  In addition, Briggs’ pregnant counterpart, Charlie DeMarco (Vanessa Ferlito, “The Sopranos”) is on a mission to find the money launderer who nearly killed her, going undercover in the Florida Everglades with the aid of an unlikely friend.  Meanwhile, housemates Joe ‘Johnny’ Tuturro (Manny Montana, “Chicago Code”), Dale Jakes (Brandon Jay McLaren, “Falling Skies”) and Paige Arkin (Serinda Swan, “Breakout Kings”) find their “normalcy” as federal agents living in an undercover world of their own, each with bad guys to pursue and secrets to keep.  Now these FBI, DEA and ICE housemates must rebound, reunite and rebuild their life in their sanctuary known as GRACELAND.

Season three of GRACELAND will premiere June 25 at 10/9c on USA and recently began production in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  From Fox 21 Television Studios and inspired by true events, GRACELAND comes from creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin (WHITE COLLAR).

About USA Network:

USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes.  The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events.  A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV.  USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. USA’s award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com

About Fox 21 Television Studios:

The newly formed Fox 21 Television Studios is a production unit housed within Fox Television Group devoted to making creatively ambitious scripted and unscripted series for all distribution platforms. Fox 21 Television Studios currently produces the Emmy and Golden Globe winning “Homeland,” starring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, the critically acclaimed “The Americans” (with FX Productions) starring Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, Brannon Braga and Adam Simon’s supernatural hit “Salem,” Howard Gordon’s “Tyrant,” “Legends” from Howard Gordon and Jonathan Levin, Jeff Eastin’s “Graceland” and Matt Nix’s “Complications.” The studio recently began production on Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s “American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson” and Kurt Sutter, Brian Grazer and Paris Barclay’s “The Bastard Executioner” (with FX productions). Fox 21 TVS starts production on “Dice,” from Scot Armstrong, Sean Furst, Bryan Furst, Richard Shepard, Bruce Rubenstein and Andrew Dice Clay, and M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller, David Friendly and Pancho Mansfield’s “Queen of the South” later this year.