Simu Liu confirms Hollywood reshapes stories for more representation onscreen.
Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Confirms Hollywood Rewriting Stories for Diversity
Simu Liu, the star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has confirmed that Hollywood is rewriting stories to make them more diverse. Liu affirmed this growing trend in response to an op-ed published by The Huffington Post, which criticized Liu’s portrayal of an archetypal kung-fu hero as tokenism. The piece argued that there are many other attractive and talented Asian men who deserve to be seen and appreciated by the general public.
Reshaping Stories for Representation
Liu responded to the criticism by stating that he has taken on roles that were not originally written for Asian actors, but that stories have been reshaped to get more representation onscreen. Hollywood has employed various methods to achieve this, including adding original Asian characters to a setting where they may not make sense or shang-chi-star-simu-liu-confirms-hollywood-chooses-to-reshape-stories-to-get-more-representation-onscreen/” title=”Simu Liu confirms Hollywood reshapes stories for more representation onscreen.”>outright race-swapping existing characters. Liu’s next film, Barbie, is set to take the toy aisle by storm on July 21st.
Gatekeeping Sexy Asian Male Representation
The op-ed’s author, Ian Kumamoto, took issue with Liu’s belief that he has broken barriers for Asian actors. Kumamoto argued that not only was Liu “getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood,” but in doing so, it made his appearance as an Asian actor “feel a little less like representation and a lot more like tokenism.” Liu responded by questioning what “bulk” of roles Kumamoto was referring to and whether there is a quota of “Asian male roles” that is a zero-sum game.
Direct Criticism from Its Subject
The op-ed drew direct criticism from Liu, who decried the attempt to put Asian actors against one another. He disagreed with Kumamoto’s argument and ultimately signed off his response by asserting that everything he has taken post-Shang-Chi was not written Asian. Liu’s response highlights the need for more representation and options for people of color in the industry.
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