Who is Simu Liu?

Simu Liu, a Marvel star, took a hit at cult Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino after the director pointed out that Hollywood stars are on the wane on account of ‘Marvelisation’ of the industry. “You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters,” said Tarantino, speaking at the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast. 

“But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the start. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times…but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star.”

The Pulp Fiction-director clarified that he had nothing against Marvel movies except the fact that they seem to be the only things made now. “My only axe to grind against them (Marvel films) is that they are the only things that seem to be made,” Tarantino said. 

As Tarantino’s comment spread through the internet, it attracted a lot of attention. Simu Liu, an actor who has worked in Marvel films, responded to the director on Twitter.

“If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie. I am in awe of their filmmaking genius. They are transcendent auteurs. But they don’t get to point their nose at me or anyone,” Liu, the Canadian actor who played Shang Chi in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

“No movie studio is or ever will be perfect. But I’m proud to work with one that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere,” he wrote, adding “I loved the “Golden Age” too…but it was white as hell.”.   

Who is Simu Liu? 

Simu Liu is a Chinese-born Canadian actor, author and stuntman. He was born on April 19, 1989 to parents Zhenning and Zheng Liu. Both his parents were trained in engineering. Zhenning, Simu Liu’s father, moved to the United States to pursue a PhD while his mother Zheng Liu stayed on in Beijing until Simu Liu was five years old. 

He and his parents later moved to Canada. 

Simu Liu attended the University of Toronto Schools for high school and then studied business administration at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, graduating with honours in 2011. 

Liu was working with Deloitte for nine months until he was laid off in April 2012. It was then that he decided to pursue a career as an actor and stuntman. 

Simu Liu began as a stuntman and an extra in films and music videos. He featured on screen in Nikita (2012) and Beauty and the Beast (2014). 

Liu’s first significant role came in 2015 with the Omni television series Blood and Water (2015-16). The same year, he starred in the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, a TV adaptation of a play by the same name. The show won multiple awards internationally. 

In 2016, Simu Liu was cast in a recurring role as a CIA analyst in the NBC prequel series Taken based on the film franchise led by Liam Neeson. 

Simu Liu’s most significant role so far was playing the titular superhero Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.