Simu Liu brushes off comments about being ugly
15 Aug – While most would be angry at being called ugly by numerous people, Canadian Chinese actor Simu Liu seemed unfazed by a recent YouTube video showing Chinese people deeming him "too ugly" to play a lead for Marvel's upcoming superhero movie, "Shang-Chi".
The actor recently took to social media to share the said video by Asian Boss, in which the interviewer asked several Chinese people on the street to rate his looks. Many of them gave him average points, saying that Simu was not up to standard when it comes to their definition of a good-looking actor.
One woman stated, "I would give him a 7.5 because he doesn't meet my standard of a handsome guy. A handsome guy to me is someone like Eddie Peng."
Another person stated that she felt disappointed as China has more charming actors that can play the role, adding she sometimes felt it was disrespectful for Hollywood to cast Asian actors who are not good looking to play a role in their movies.
Speaking about the issue, Simu wrote, "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 co-stars 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?
"That isn't to say you can't have bad days, and that you shouldn't use your support systems and talk about how you feel like I'm doing right now. I've never been called ugly so many times in my entire life! 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."
He stressed that he will not let these few voices ruin it for him, and at the same time expressed his doubt of the integrity of the channel that decided to do such a survey.
(Photo Source: Marvel Studios Twitter)
