Imagine having a childhood crush on someone, only to end up working alongside them years later—talk about awkward! But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: Lucy Liu recently revealed that she had a secret crush on her future costar, C. Thomas Howell, long before they ever shared the screen. And this is the part most people miss—she even had his poster on her wall as a teenager! But here’s the kicker: despite their eventual collaboration, she never mustered the courage to tell him. Why? Because, as she put it, she was just too ‘embarrassed.’
During a candid conversation with W Magazine, Liu opened up about her first ‘cinematic crush’ on Howell, who rose to fame in the 1983 classic The Outsiders. ‘I remember Scotch-taping his picture from a teen magazine to my wood-panel wall,’ she shared. ‘He had that quintessential ’80s look—hair blown back, hand casually tucked into his jeans pocket.’ Howell, just 16 at the time, starred as Ponyboy Curtis in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film, which also featured a star-studded cast including Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, and Patrick Swayze. The movie, set in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma, explored the rivalries between the greasers and the Socs, two opposing teenage groups in the city.
But here’s where it gets controversial: decades after swooning over Howell’s on-screen charm, Liu found herself working alongside him in season 4 of the gritty crime drama Southland. ‘I never told him about my crush,’ she admitted. ‘We were playing tough cops, and it just felt too awkward to bring up.’ Southland, which aired from 2009 to 2013, featured Howell as Officer Dewey Dudek in 27 episodes, while Liu joined the cast in 2012 as Officer Jessica Tang for 10 episodes. The show also boasted a talented ensemble, including Michael Cudlitz, Ben McKenzie, Regina King, and Shawn Hatosy.
Now, here’s a thought-provoking question: If you had a childhood crush on someone and later worked with them, would you ever admit it? Or would you, like Lucy Liu, keep it buried out of embarrassment? Let’s spark a conversation—share your thoughts in the comments below!
