‘Way to Put Us Against One Another’

• Simu Liu clapped back against an article claiming he was getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood.
• The story, published on HuffPost, suggested Liu’s casting felt like ‘tokenism’ and named other Asian actors to star in the upcoming “Barbie” movie.
• “Way to attempt to put us against one another,” Liu responded on Facebook.

Actor Simu Liu clapped back on Thursday at a HuffPost article that suggested he was monopolizing the Asian male roles available in Hollywood.

The article titled “We love Simu Liu, but he’s not the only talented Asian thirst trap in Hollywood,” published on HuffPost last month, and voiced confusion over Liu’s casting in the upcoming “Barbie” movie.

“Don’t get us wrong — we love Liu, and we’re all for an Asian king thriving,” the HuffPost article said. “But when a single actor appears to be getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood, it starts to feel a little less like representation and a lot more like tokenism.”

“All we’re saying is, we don’t want a predominantly white Hollywood to gatekeep sexy Asian male representation like it has for decades when there are so many other attractive and talented Asian men who deserve to be seen and appreciated by the general public,” the article continued.

The rest of the HuffPost story listed seven other Asian actors, including Manny Jacinto and Steven Yeun, who the author felt could have played Ken in the “Barbie” film instead of Liu.

‘Way to attempt to put us against one another’

In a comment under HuffPost Entertainment’s Facebook post sharing the article, Liu criticized the story, writing that the number of Asian roles available is not a “zero sum game.”

“Way to attempt to put us against one another. What ‘bulk’ of roles are you referring to? Are there movies I’m in that I’m not aware of? Do you really think that there is a quota of ‘Asian male roles’ that is a zero sum game? Every thing I have taken post Shang-Chi was not written Asian,” Liu wrote, referring to the 2021 Marvel blockbuster that was the first film in the franchise to feature an Asian lead, Asian director, and predominantly Asian cast.

Since his film debut on “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the Chinese Canadian actor has starred in the indie movie “Women Is Losers,” romance film “One True Loves,” and the Canadian sci-fi thriller “Simulant.”

Hollywood has long grappled with issues of representation. Just 2.3% of theatrical film leads were Asian, compared to 78.4% white leads, according to UCLA’s 2023 Hollywood Diversity Report. But the recent rise of award-sweeping films and mega-blockbusters like “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” and “Shang-Chi” may signal a shift toward greater diversity on screen.

“We’ve been able to reshape stories to get more representation onscreen. Get your facts straight,” Liu wrote in the Facebook comment.

Liu shared the article on his Facebook page, calling it “the trashest take by HuffPo.”

“Also I’m not a ‘thirst trap’ I’m a fucking actor,” he added.

People rallied around Liu. “So they objectify you then dismiss you for pointing out lack of representation, hope they enjoy the reaction,” one commentor wrote on Facebook. 

“Seriously tho, why can’t people of color be successful and have it relate to the job and not the need to fill some diversity quota? You said it, you’re an actor, and actors get roles. You aren’t here to be typecast or to just be some exotic eye candy. You’re here to just do your job,” another wrote.