Simu Liu, who is set to play the titular hero in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, responds to critics claiming that he’s “too ugly” for the role.
In a recent post he made on the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits, Simu Liu responded to a YouTube video from the channel Asian Boss. The video in question involved on-the-street interviews of Chinese people being asked if Simu Liu was “too ugly” to play Shang-Chi.
You can read Simu Liu’s response below:
“A lot of teachers thought I’d never amount to anything, a lot of producers, directors, writers AND costars have questioned my acting ability, and I’ve been rejected from countless conservatories, grants, programs, etc. I’ve been second-guessed at every single possible step of my career. The reason why I’m still standing is because I’m singularly focused, I have the utmost belief in my abilities and I refuse to let the opinions of others define me.”
Simu Liu continued to shed some light on how he has dealt with such issues throughout his career up to this point:
“For me, it’s never been about trying to shut the voices out – it’s a fruitless effort (especially if people happen to be making Youtube videos about it lol). Rather, it’s about learning to let the voices exist and be OKAY with it. I’m still doing my thing, and I’m still over the moon happy I get this amazing opportunity.”
Comic book movie actors/actresses from underrepresented groups often deal with more adversity from fan discourse more than their white counterparts. In the case of Marvel Studios, both Chadwick Boseman and Brie Larson had to deal with prejudiced backlash from trolls. Now, Simu Liu is the latest having to deal with such nonsense but thankfully, he will continue to do his thing and not let negative energy cloud his excitement in bringing Shang-Chi to life.
What do you make of these comments by Simu Liu? Do you also respect his motives to avoid negative energy as he prepares to shoot Shang-Chi? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to continue following for all the latest news regarding Simu Liu, Shang-Chi and the rest of the MCU.
In the comics, Shang-Chi is a skilled martial artist who was raised and trained by his father Fu Manchu, a Chinese crimelord and immortal sorcerer who repeatedly attempted to conquer the world, in an isolated compound located in China. When Shang-Chi was finally allowed to venture into the outside world in order to do his father’s bidding, he learned about his father’s evil ways and faked his own death before embarking on a mission to take down Fu Manchu’s criminal empire.
Introduced in Special Marvel Edition #15 in December 197, Shang-Chi will reportedly modernize the source material in order to avoid the character stereotypes of the time. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film will star Simu Liu, Awkwafina and Tony Leung.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens in theaters on February 12, 2021.
Source: HuffPo
