Actor, producer and artist Lucy Liu has joined Pfizer’s mission to end cancer, becoming the latest face of the pharmaceutical giant’s campaign to encourage people to get tested.
Liu, a star of films such as “Charlie’s Angels” and “Kill Bill,” shared a social media post about cancer screenings sponsored by Pfizer with her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. The video begins with the text, “In the fight against cancer, every screen matters,” followed by “We are taking over this screen for cancer screening.” Ryu then utters the line, “The most important screen is the one that could save your life.”
In the rest of the video, Liu talks about how cancer has affected her and her loved ones. Focusing on breast and prostate cancer, the symptoms for which Pfizer sells drugs such as Ibrance and Tarzena, Liu said he saw firsthand “how early detection can change the course of everything.”
Some of Liu’s friends and family members chose to get tested, had their cancer detected early, and are still alive today. Others were diagnosed too late to receive life-saving treatment. Early detection gives people more options and information and the opportunity to act sooner, Liu said.
Liu ended the video with a sentence telling viewers to consult their doctors and use Pfizer’s website to schedule cancer screenings. Pfizer’s website, referenced in a text post accompanying the video, asks visitors to enter information such as their age, smoking history and family history of cancer. Based on their answers, users receive a list of recommended tests and a link to a doctor.
Pfizer has sponsored a series of posts encouraging people to visit its website. In April, which is Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, Liu and Dr. Milo Figura, an anesthesiologist with 1.5 million followers on Instagram, shared a sponsored post.
Breast cancer advocate Katie Thurston posted a video in partnership with Pfizer last month. Actor Hill Harper, doctor, author and television personality Dr. Jacqueline Walters, and businesswoman Tina Knowles published posts in February. Liu’s post follows the format established in previous updates, starting with text and a line about “the most important screens.”
Oncology is a key therapeutic area for Pfizer, which expanded its presence in the field with its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen in 2023. Leading pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in oncology, citing the field as a driver for a 4% increase in R&D spending last year, and are working on extensive clinical programs for the PD-1xVEGF bispecific antibody PF’4404.
