The Empire Film Podcast There Can Be Only Dozens (ft. guests Simu Liu; Ke Huy Quan; Richard Linklater & Ethan Hawke)
Nov 28, 2025
In this lively discussion, Simu Liu, known for his role as Shang-Chi, shares insights on his animated film In Your Dreams and hints at his Marvel return. Meanwhile, Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan reflects on his journey from Temple of Doom to voicing a character in Zootropolis 2, revealing his past fears of snakes. Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke join in to discuss their collaboration on Blue Moon, delving into the musical elements and the creative process behind their latest project. A delightful mix of film talk and personal anecdotes!
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Warm Up For Voice Work
- Warm up before voice sessions with light physicality and a hot drink to find a vocal and physical groove.
- Simu Liu credits director Alex Wu's scene walk-throughs and periodic sessions for consistent performance in long VO projects.
Use Padel As Functional Training
- Treat paddle (padel) as practical training: it builds movement, cardio, and teamwork useful for physical film roles.
- Simu Liu and colleagues view it as part of on-set readiness rather than mere leisure.
Ground Fantasies With Real Stakes
- In Your Dreams balances playful fantasy beats with heavy real-world family stakes to make the fantasy matter.
- Simu Liu explains grounding children's imagination-driven stories with authentic parental conflict elevates emotional investment.