It's kind of hard to watch. In the clip, an interviewer talks to many, many people on the street and asks them to judge Liu by his looks. And they do. Harshly.
Simu Liu Responds to YouTube Video Which Accused Him of Being 'Too Ugly' to Play Marvel's Shang-Chi
Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu has just been cast as the first Asian leading man in the MCU, set to star in the 2021 movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , and he's already conquered his first nemesis: internet trolls. Following Marvel's announcement at San Diego Comic Con that Liu would be playing Shang-Chi, YouTuber Asian Boss posted a video which questioned whether he is "too ugly" to appeal to Chinese beauty standards.
Marvel's New Star Simu Liu Responds to Trolls
Hey Siri... am I ugly??? Simu Liu (@SimuLiu)
Liu, who until now was best known for his work on Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, took the video in his stride, and responded with grace and humor. "I've never been called ugly so many times in my entire life," he said in a Facebook post , while making an important point about determination and self-belief.
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On a serious note, I think this is a very teachable moment. I've had people question me my entire life. 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. In your careers, in your lives, no matter where you go, you will always encounter voices of doubt. Some will come from people who are frighteningly close to you. Are you going to let those voices own you?
It's a classy response, to move the conversation away from his looks and towards his talents as an actor and his ability to do justice to the the first Asian-led movie in the MCU. But come on. If this guy is "ugly" then what does that mean for the rest of us?
If you didnt take a shirtless picture at sunset, were you ever even there? #Shangtorini2019 by @jasonsuperchan by @eubi_official A post shared by Simu Liu () (@simuliu) on Aug 1, 2019 at 3:37am PDT
If anything, having a YouTuber discuss your appearance in great detail is a (depressing) sign that you've made it. Last month, Aquaman star Jason Momoa was the subject of some pretty dumb body-shaming comments on social media after he was photographed on vacation taking time off from his superhero diet and gym routine despite the fact he was still in incredible shape. Momoa was unbothered in his response to those comments , and it looks like Liu is also learning to not let get that kind of negativity get to him.
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