Fresh off the Juno Awards in Toronto, Simu Liu is having another spotlight moment. This time it is global.
The Canadian actor has been named one of the most influential people of 2022 by TIME magazine. And as TIME picked guest contributors to write about each influential person, which included Zendaya and Jeremy Strong, fellow Canadian Sandra Oh wrote about Liu.
“As a fellow Ontarioan, I was already excited about Simu Liu when he was having ‘Canada success’ on Kim’s Convenience. But since then, he’s been on a path that no Chinese Canadian has walked before. He’s part of the first generation of Asian Americans and Canadians to reach true stardom,” wrote Oh.
“Simu has been working hard to get through closed doors, and now he wants to hold those doors open for others. You see him doing that through the way he speaks out against hateful violence, his openness about his own experiences of isolation and discrimination, his professional choices. He’s our superhero.”
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As for Liu, he took to his social media account to say that there is “no caption that exists to articulate what I am feeling to be included among such legendary and exceptional people.”
“Every fibre of my being wants to wither from the spotlight, to deflect, to say that it is too soon, that I do not deserve this (I don’t),” he said.
“But what if this moment isn’t about me at all? What if I’m merely a conduit to a much more impactful discussion about a group of people who have struggled to feel seen, respected, and equal? If I happen to be an instrument, a passing storm that changes the tides this particular year, then so be it. I will make as much thunder and lightning as I can while the clouds are here,” Liu continued.
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He then thanked Sandra Oh for her words, along with those who came before, and will come after.
“It is an honour and a privilege to occupy this space for a brief moment,” said Liu.
