Simu Liu Says Hollywood’s Asian Representation is 'Appalling'

Barbie actor Simu Liu, known for his starring role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, recently sparked a viral conversation after taking to social media to call out the film industry's systemic prejudices and "appalling" lack of Asian representation.

Liu's comments followed a Threads post (below) lamenting the absence of Asian men in romantic comedies. In his powerful statement, Liu wrote: "Put some Asians in literally anything right now. the amount of backslide in our representation onscreen is f***** appalling. Studios think we're 'risky,'" as reported recently by Buzzfeed.

He pointed out a string of recent hits to back up his argument that Asian-led films can be successful, citing Crazy Rich Asians, which earned approximately $239 million worldwide, and Shang-Chi, which grossed $432 million globally despite debuting during the pandemic. He also highlighted the massive success of Oscar-sweeping films like Everything Everywhere All at Once, which made $143 million worldwide.

Liu went on to argue that "No Asian actor has ever lost a studio even close to 100 million dollars, but a white dude will lose 200 million TWICE and roll right into the next tentpole lead. We're fighting a deeply prejudiced system. and most days it SUCKS."

Despite some groundbreaking successes, maybe Hollywood is treating new diverse films as isolated "surprise hits" rather than as signals for change? If it only takes one frustrated Asian actor to call the industry out, Liu's justifiable rant is a good start. It’s clear that Asian representation in Hollywood still has a ways to go.

Photo by Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons