Simu Liu is going from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a life in plastic. And it’s fantastic.
The “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star recently revealed it was a junior agent from his management team that pushed him to audition for the upcoming “Barbie” film after finding the script to be one of the best he’s ever read.
“He literally said this verbatim,” Liu told GQ UK. “He was like, ‘If I could stake my career on any one script, it’s the ‘Barbie’ script. I really think you should do it.’”
Liu then submitted his own self-tape to audition before being asked by the film’s co-creator Greta Gerwig for an in-person meetup.
“Greta was talking about how much she loved watching men dance, because it’s such an expression of artistry you’re not used to seeing from typical men,” Liu recalled.
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He made sure to mention his background in competitive hip-hop dancing from his years in college.
“She audibly guffawed, she giggle-screamed – and then I got the part.”
On working with Gerwig, Liu noted it’s a good sign to make her laugh.
“When you’re doing a scene and it’s working, you hear, ‘HAHAHAHA!’ from the video village. It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. But on the flip side, “if you’re an asshole on a Greta Gerwig set, there’s no hope for you.”
While the film is not a musical, Liu has hinted at having to rush to a dance rehearsal in preparation for the production. Aside from that, all he revealed about it is that it’s “wild” and “incredibly unique.”
“I wish I could just show you what we do day to day because it’s crazy,” he teased readers.
“Barbie” is set for release in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Featured Image via GQ (left), Warner Bros (right)
