Simu Liu

Simu Liu Bio

Simu Liu (born 19 April 1989) is a Canadian actor and author. He rose to international prominence by starring as Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). He is also widely recognized for playing Jung Kim in the CBC Television sitcom Kim’s Convenience and for his appearance in the fantasy comedy film Barbie (2023).

Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, Liu transitioned from a career in accounting to acting after being laid off in 2012. He is also the author of the memoir We Were Dreamers, published in 2022, and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world that same year.

Early Life and Background

Simu Liu was born in Harbin, China, on 19 April 1989, to parents Zhenning and Zheng Liu. His parents met while attending university in Beijing, where they both studied engineering. His father later moved to the United States to pursue a PhD, while Liu was raised by his grandparents in Harbin until the age of five, in a small apartment without consistent running water. He has described those early years as idyllic and happy.

Liu later emigrated to Canada to rejoin his parents, who had supplemented their scholarships with dish-washing jobs and eventually became successful aerospace engineers. He first arrived in Kingston, Ontario, where his father completed his doctoral studies at Queen’s University, and was later raised in Mississauga, Ontario. Upon his arrival in Kingston, he attended Sydenham Public School, and he later attended University of Toronto Schools.

In his memoir, Liu wrote about the trauma his parents experienced during China’s Cultural Revolution and the strict parenting style they adopted afterward. He attended the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, where he studied business administration, and he initially worked as an accountant at Deloitte before being laid off in April 2012 after nine months on the job.

Path to Celebrity

After losing his accounting position, Liu decided to pursue a career as an actor and stuntman. He got his start by working as an extra and stuntman, appearing in productions such as Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim and the music video for Avicii’s “I Could Be the One.” His other early onscreen credits included Nikita (2012) and Beauty and the Beast (2014), along with stunt work in Sick: Survive the Night and the TV miniseries Heroes Reborn.

In 2015, Liu landed his first significant recurring role, appearing as a series regular in seven episodes of the Omni Television crime drama series Blood and Water (2015–2016). He received his first award nominations for this role at the ACTRA Awards and Canadian Screen Awards in 2017. Later that year, he was cast as Jung Kim in the CBC Television sitcom Kim’s Convenience, a TV adaptation of the play of the same name, which became his most notable television success.

Simu Liu Career

Early Career (2012–2018)

Liu built his early résumé with a mix of stunt work, extra roles, and small television appearances. He appeared in the NBC prequel series Taken, in a recurring role modeled on real-life ex-CIA analyst Rodney Faraon, and continued to take on background parts in shows like Orphan Black and Dark Matter. In 2017, he appeared in the second season of Slasher and the CityTV miniseries Bad Blood, both as recurring characters.

In 2017, Liu and his Kim’s Convenience castmates won the ACTRA Award for Outstanding Ensemble, and the series went on to win Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. The cast received additional ACTRA nominations in 2018 and 2019. On stage, Liu was also nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award in the Outstanding Ensemble category for the 2016 Factory Theatre remount of the play Banana Boys.

Breakthrough (2019–Present)

At Comic-Con 2019, Disney announced that Liu would play the titular superhero Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel’s first film with an Asian-led cast. After several production and release delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released in theaters on 3 September 2021, garnering positive critical reception and achieving commercial success. A sequel is planned, and Liu is set to return as Shang-Chi in the upcoming MCU film Avengers: Doomsday (2026).

In September 2021, Liu was revealed as the lead of the English-language voice cast of Bright: Samurai Soul, a Netflix anime film that premiered on 12 October 2021. In February 2022, he joined the cast of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film as one of the Ken dolls, as well as the thriller film Hello Stranger, which eventually became Simulant. Both films were released in 2023, with Barbie breaking box office records and earning widespread acclaim.

Beyond film, Liu made history in November 2021 as the fourth actor of Chinese descent to host Saturday Night Live, and he has also hosted the Juno Awards in 2022 and 2023. In April 2023, he released his debut single, titled “Don’t,” and he appeared as a guest dragon in season 19 of the Canadian reality series Dragons’ Den. In January 2025, he announced on Twitter that he was working to make a live-action adaptation of the video game Sleeping Dogs, with the project later reported to be in pre-production.

Notable Works and Milestones

Liu’s signature work remains Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which cemented his status as a leading man in a major Hollywood franchise. His performance as Jung Kim in Kim’s Convenience earned him and his castmates the ACTRA Award for Outstanding Ensemble in 2017, and the show won Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. He was also included on Time magazine’s 2022 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Simu Liu Award Nominations

Simu Liu has earned multiple award nominations across film, television, and stage. He was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award and an ACTRA Award in 2017 for his role in Blood and Water, and he and his Kim’s Convenience castmates were nominated for the ACTRA Award for Outstanding Ensemble in 2018 and 2019. Liu was also nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award in the Outstanding Ensemble category for the 2016 Factory Theatre production of Banana Boys.

Simu Liu Awards Won

Simu Liu has collected several notable honors throughout his career. In 2017, he and his Kim’s Convenience castmates won the ACTRA Award for Outstanding Ensemble, and in January 2023, he was named the winner of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Radius Award at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards. He also won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Host in a Live Entertainment Special for his work hosting the 2022 Juno Awards.

Simu Liu Family

Simu Liu was born to parents Zhenning and Zheng Liu, who both studied engineering in Beijing before his father pursued a PhD in the United States. His grandparents helped raise him in Harbin, China, until he was five, after which he emigrated to Canada to rejoin his parents, who had become successful aerospace engineers. Liu became distant from his parents after losing his accounting job and entering acting, but the family later reconciled and became closer as a result.

Personal Life

In 2022, Liu began dating digital marketing manager Allison Hsu. In May 2025, the couple announced that they were engaged. Beyond his acting career, Liu became a UNICEF Canada Ambassador in October 2020 and has since appeared in every Youth Advocacy Summit hosted by the organization.