On the one-year anniversary of Simu Liu’s debut as the MCU superhero Shang-Chi, the actor took to Instagram to celebrate the role while opening up about the mental health challenges he has faced since being catapulted into international stardom.
Liu began the post by acknowledging the major impact that the movie, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” has had on his life.
“Exactly one year ago, this little movie came out and completely changed my life,” he wrote. “It’s been nothing short of the absolute best ride… but after having some time to reflect I know that this life also comes at a massive cost.”
Unprepared for life in the public eye, coupled with exhaustion from the high volume of projects he’s taken on in fear of losing momentum, the 33-year-old actor realized he’d forgotten to check in with himself mentally.
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Choosing now to prioritize his mental health, Liu revealed that he’s in therapy and on the path to becoming “a good and decent man.”
Liu ended his post by assuring fans of his love for his career and plans to stick with it.
There’s no doubt that Liu has been keeping himself busy since his debut as Shang-Chi last September. On top of his memoir published earlier this year in May, “We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story,” Liu has been confirmed in a number of roles in upcoming films. He recently wrapped up filming for a live-action “Barbie” movie in which he plays the role of a Ken variant. He will also star in an upcoming adventure film “Arthur the King” alongside Mark Wahlberg and in the romantic comedy “One True Loves.” Most recently, the actor was confirmed in a villain role opposite Jennifer Lopez in Netflix’s upcoming movie “Atlas.”
The actor has been outspoken about his struggles with mental health in the past, having previously opened up about his childhood trauma, the insecurities he faced growing up as an Asian male and blows to his confidence due to career setbacks, among several other topics that he details in his memoir.
Featured Image via Marvel Entertainment
