Marvel star Simu Liu blasts producers of ‘Kim’s Convenience’

The first Asian actor to lead a Marvel film has blasted the show that catapulted him to fame, declaring he was paid “horsepoop rate”.

Canadian actor Simu Liu, who will play Marvel’s first lead Asian superhero for its upcoming movie, has slammed a popular TV show that bolstered him to fame.

The 32-year-old stuntman, who is set to play Shang-Chi in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, got his big break on the Canadian TV sitcom Kim’s Convenience, which first aired in 2016.

It was initially slated for a sixth season however producers reversed its renewal in March when two showrunners left the series, which saw creators make the decision to end it with season 5, which just dropped on Netflix.

At the time, Liu suggested there was more to the story in a cryptic tweet. Now he has told that story in a scathing, lengthy statement on Facebook.

Liu alleged frosty on-set tensions, “horsepoop” pay and a failure for fair on-screen representation during his time on the show.

Simu Liu in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, which hits cinemas in September. Picture: Instagram

“For how successful the show actually became, we were paid an absolute horsepoop rate. The whole process has really opened my eyes to the relationship between those with power and those without,” Liu wrote.

“In the beginning, we were no-name actors who had ZERO leverage. So of course we were going to take anything we could.

“After one season, after the show debuted to sky-high ratings, we received a little bump-up that also extended the duration of our contracts by two years.

“Compared to shows like Schitt’s Creek, who had ‘brand-name talent’ with American agents, but whose ratings were not as high as ours, we were making NOTHING.

“Basically we were locked in for the foreseeable future at a super-low rate … an absolute DREAM if you are a producer. But we also never banded together and demanded more – probably because we were told to be grateful to even be there, and because we were so scared to rock the boat.

“Maybe also because we were too busy infighting to understand that we were deliberately being pitted against each other.”

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Simu Liu starred in Kim’s Convenience from 2016 until its cancellation this year.

He also shot down claims that he had become too good for the show after securing the lead in the impending Marvel flick in 2019.

“I wanted to be a part of the sixth season,” he began. “I’ve heard a lot of speculation surrounding myself – specifically, about how getting a Marvel role meant I was suddenly too ‘Hollywood’ for Canadian TV.

“This could not be further from the truth. I love this show and everything it stood for. I saw first-hand how profoundly it impacted families and brought people together.

“It’s truly SO RARE for a show today to have such an impact on people, and I wanted very badly to make the schedules work.”

Liu went on to admit he had become frustrated by the way his character, Jung Kim, was being portrayed in the later seasons, and that he became disheartened by the way he was treated when he attempted to collaborate.

“It was always my understanding that the lead actors were the stewards of character, and would grow to have more creative insight as the show went on,” Liu said.

“This was not the case on our show, which was doubly confusing because our producers were overwhelmingly white and we were a cast of Asian Canadians who had a plethora of lived experiences to draw from and offer to writers.

“But we were often told of the next seasons’ plans mere days before we were set to start shooting … there was deliberately not a lot of leeway given to us.

“Imagine my disappointment year after year knowing that Jung was just stuck at Handy and in absolutely no hurry to improve himself in any way. More importantly, the characters never seemed to grow.

“I can appreciate that the show is still a hit and is enjoyed by many people … but I remain fixated on the missed opportunities to show Asian characters with real depth and the ability to grow and evolve.”

RELATED: Why on-screen representation is so important to Asian actors

Simu Liu is also a seasoned stuntman.

Liu’s co-star, Canadian actress Nicole Power, has been given the lead in a spin-off series Strays, which will follow her Kim’s Convenience character, Shannon Ross.

While Liu made it clear he “loved” Power, he said the decision to give the only non-Asian character her own show was “difficult” to reconcile.

“I love and am proud of Nicole, and I want the show to succeed for her … but I remain resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show,” he said.

“And not that they would ever ask, but I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity.”

On a lighter note, Liu said the day-to-day crew were “phenomenal”.

“You couldn’t ask for a better group of people or a better working environment. From our props to our grips and gaffers to sound and set dec, everyone contributed to a positive work environment,” he wrote.

“I still believe in what the show once stood for; a shining example of what can happen when the gates come down and minorities are given a chance to shine.”