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Simu Liu Says Hollywood Success Remains Harder for Nonwhite Actors

He frames his post–Shang-Chi lull as proof that studios still treat Asian‑led projects as a risk.

Overview

  • Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Liu said he was surprised by how few lead offers followed Shang‑Chi and described an ongoing uphill battle for substantive roles.
  • He noted that recent opportunities skewed toward small‑budget projects or supporting parts, not the audience‑proxy leads he expected after a Marvel breakout.
  • On Threads, he argued that Asian actors are not given the same margin for box‑office failure as white stars and that studios still see Asian‑fronted titles as risky.
  • He said roles like James Bond are effectively out of reach for him because he is Asian, underscoring what he calls a persistent double standard in casting.
  • He is pursuing producing and lead opportunities, with The Copenhagen Test debuting on Peacock on December 27 as his first lead role since Shang‑Chi.