Written by Deborah Lau-Yu

Images: Fete Chinoise, Amy Chow, Marvel Studios & Getty

Starting on a personal note, it feels like ages since one rainy afternoon, when the Fête Chinoise editorial team was on set with Simu Liu. We were on the rooftop of the historic downtown building where the fu-GEN Theatre Company office was located, hoping that the thunderous rain would not hinder any of our plans for the magazine shoot. At the time, we were doing a story on Simu who was one of the co-stars of Kim's Convenience, the television series, and in full admiration of his voice as an actor and cultural advocate who was unafraid to break boundaries. I recall his impressive parcour jumps on the roof, bypassing puddles. While between shots, there was a brief mention of auditioning for his next big role, and we all light heartedly shared our excitement for him and dreamed of how amazing it would be for his Marvel dream to come true. Then in another moment, when he was wearing a suit from Prada, and Bret was snapping his camera and Simu walked along the building sidewalk looking ahead, I asked him to imagine himself on the red carpet of a movie premiere or receiving an Academy award. I strongly believed that what I asked him to imagine would happen in the future for someone so hard-working, outspoken about his passion, and courageously and constantly moving forward for his career.

By the time the magazine went into production, Simu brought new meaning to the title of our edition, Dreams Take Flight. He landed the contract for Marvel's Shang-Chi and we burst out in cheers that evening from our studio in Markham, as we proudly added a note about this historic moment into our magazine.

It is now August, 2021. The World Premiere of《Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 尚氣與十環傳奇》just happened in L.A. last week, and of course, the moment we all dreamed of came true for our fellow Canadian, Simu Liu 劉思慕. He invited his high school and university friends, and of course his parents (who have been a huge part of his story) to join him on the red carpet. This moment was followed by his appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show, where he very candidly showed off his brilliance in his knowledge and sense of humour. Once again, Simu delivers and proves he was meant to fill the shoes of the superhero many Asian-North Americans, especially Canadians, have been waiting for.

Standing next to him on the stage of the world premiere were also superheroes and heroines to many, including Director Destin Daniel Cretton, celebrities Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Fala Chen, Ronny Chien, and Meng’er Zhang. As his Hollywood and Marvel debut, Simu Liu co-stars with global legend Tony Leung, who plays the Mandarin and his father in the movie. What more could one ask for, when it comes to the first chapter in Hollywood?

STARRING SIMU LIU, A CHINESE-CANADIAN AT THE HEART OF A MARVEL MOVIE.

What’s the significance of Shang-Chi, anyway? Isn’t it just another Disney production on the big screens? Why should we care about this pop culture production in the middle of a pandemic? Who is Simu Liu?

As we move into the week of the movie’s release, at Fête Chinoise, we count down with utter delight and excitement for what is truly a VERY BIG MOMENT! How often does any Canadian actor from the Greater Toronto Area get cast as the lead in a Hollywood film? And to add, this performer is a Chinese-Canadian who is the first Asian Marvel superhero that young kids, from all over the world will idolize like they did for Spiderman and Iron Man — except this time, they see someone who they could become one day, because this hero shares similar physical features and heritage with many young Chinese North Americans for the very first time. Chinese-Canadian representation at this level in popular culture is, to state the obvious, a very big milestone. It is so obvious that you might just miss it, if you don’t take a moment to fully appreciate how important it truly is to every person who have ever felt that there was a limit to who they could be, due to being a minority in world that was previously dominated by a largely lopsided cultural landscape.

Simu Liu, was previously best known for his character, Jung, on the hit Canadian television series, Kim’s Convenience, which ended abruptly with its last season earlier this year. Originally educated in university (a University of Western Ontario alumni) to become an accountant, he chose what most Asian parents would consider an unimaginable path of uncertainty in the arts over a stable, professional career. He’s been a cultural advocate throughout his acting career thus far, being very vocal about representation, breaking bad stereotypes (such as the negative inferior narrative of Asian men not being physically attractive), and commenting on the film and television production industry. He cares deeply and is unafraid to speak out on issues that perpetuate the “model minority myth” — which ultimately harms diaspora communities by limiting the scope of possibility and typecasts the box within which immigrants and their children dream. He has put in the work, he’s put himself out there to represent our community, and taken many risks that most people can’t imagine taking. Therefore, what Simu has fought for, and how he has delivered himself to this point is significant to all Canadians, and especially for Chinese-Canadians who have found themselves stuck between stereotypes and cultural limits. If you take a moment to listen to his interviews, both early on and the ones more recent, you will undoubtedly find yourself in his story.

THE CAST OF OUR GENERATION’S LIFETIME.

In addition to the incredible story and journey of Simu Liu, there is also every other reason in the book to be excited about the cast of this film, when it comes to people.

Marvel has chosen a line up of actors and actresses that had me (elegantly) screaming with a standing ovation at my editorial desk, when the first teaser poster was released, because every single individual brings an equally amazing story into this milestone moment. Let’s be excited together as we explore the list of who’s who.

Tony Leung 梁朝偉 plays the role of the Wenwu (previously known as the Mandarin), the main villain of the movie, and Shang-Chi’s father. The global icon hails from Hong Kong, where he began in television and film in my parents’ generation and through decades of incredible performances, earned his spot as one of the most in-demand top-earning actors in Asia. Highly decorated with awards for many of his iconic performances in a broad and impressive range of character types, he is best known for his work in Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000) and The Grand Master (2013), Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007), and Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs (2003).

Awkwafina (Nora Lum 林家珍) plays the role of Katy, Shang-Chi’s best friend. Best known for her courageous and comical role as Peik Lin (the best friend of Constance Wu’s character) in Crazy Rich Asians (2018), she also played an important role in Ocean’s 8, and Billi, the grand-daughter in The Farewell (2019), an Asian-American indie film by Lulu Wang. Raised in New York, she has an enormously welcoming personality, with incredible talent and humour that lights up every show or screen that she graces.

Fala Chen 陳法拉 is the mother of Shang-Chi and the love of the Mandarin in the movie. Born in Chengdu, China and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Chen rose to fame after competing in Miss Chinese International Pageant in 2005, where she was the 1st runner up, kick-starting her career in the entertainment industry, where she became one of the most popular television actresses in Hong Kong. At the height of her career, she desired more of herself and her performances, and enrolled in a 4-year Master of Fine Arts in Drama Programme at the Juilliard School in NYC. Best known for her roles in TVB’s top drama series, Triumph in the Skies II, Lives of Omission, and No Regrets. Her personal journey to re-invent herself and to dedicate her life to transformation as a performer is worthy of more discussion, so please stay tuned for more.

Michelle Yeoh 楊紫瓊, much like Tony Leung, comes with no need for introduction, but it’s always a good reminder to celebrate what she’s achieved as an early global example of Asian representation. A Malaysian actress who began her career after winning the Miss Malaysia pageant in 1983, she rose to fame in the 1990’s, she was best known for her roles in the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Recently, she also delivered a stellar performance playing Henry Golding’s mother in Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and triad boss and older sister in Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018). She is recognized as one of the greatest action heroines of all time (Rotten Tomatoes) and in 2009, was named by People as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” Always presenting herself elegantly in the media, she embodies a mesmerizing and life-defying balance for most people: an authentic martial arts action hero and red carpet sensation all at once.

Meng’er Zhang 張夢兒 is a Chinese actress from Tianjin, China, and plays the role of Xialing. While most other cast members have had some larger screen experience, she is a relative newcomer to the big screens. Self-proclaimed as the new kid on the block, she humbly acknowledges that she didn’t even know she was auditioning for Marvel when she sent her tapes in, and was a theatre girl looking for a feature film. She’s already been cited as one of the Marvel Universe’s next big thing, and we look forward to her performance after the sneak peeks of training on her social media!

With this cast, Marvel almost deserves a separate award for “getting it right”. They have chosen a diverse group of talented individuals whom are all inspiring in each of their personal stories. How can our community not be excited for the chemistry that’s to come on screen? The storyline and energy of the Marvel universe aside (yes, they remain very important requisites!), this cast is already worth your attention when it comes to representation of pop culture and production across our generation.

You must be excited by now…..

Stay tuned for more, as we deep-dive into more on the movie this week, leading up to the Toronto Premiere. Remember to buy your tickets for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to show your support for Asian —specifically Chinese-Canadian— representation in North American movies! Because of the pandemic, there are already less seats available to be purchased in every theatre, yet this is an opportunity for the community to show our support for what we asked for: representation. Opening day is Friday, September 3rd. The countdown is on!

About the writer, Deborah Lau-Yu

Deborah Lau-Yu is the Editor-in-Chief of Fête Chinoise Magazine & Platform, and the Creative Director of PALETTERA Inc. She is passionate about visual culture and design, the arts, and the Chinese Canadian diaspora.