Simu Liu ON: Letting Go of Your Parents' Expectations & How to Find the Courage to Fail Until You Succeed

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May 30, 2022

Simu Liu, the actor renowned for his role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, shares his insights on overcoming parental expectations and cultural pressures. He opens up about the fear of seeking approval and how confronting this fear can lead to personal growth. Liu emphasizes the importance of storytelling in healing familial relationships and discusses his journey from a corporate job to embracing his creative passions. With a mix of humor and depth, he encourages listeners to pursue their dreams and embrace their identities.

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ANECDOTE

The Tweet

Simu Liu tweeted in 2018 expressing interest in playing Shang-Chi.
Marvel never saw the tweet, highlighting that manifestation is for oneself.

ANECDOTE

Childhood Separation

Simu Liu was raised by his grandparents in China until age five.
He then moved to Canada to live with his parents, feeling like a stranger in a new family.

INSIGHT

Sacrifice vs. Needs

Simu Liu's parents, like many immigrants, prioritized financial stability above all else.
This often led to them overlooking their children's emotional needs.

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Jay Shetty sits down with Simu Liu to talk about his parent’s immigrant story and how he was able to pursue his passion despite everyone’s expectations from him. One thing that has killed a lot of dreams is fear. The fear of people not supporting us throughout the journey, the fear of being not good enough, the fear of not being able to become the person that you want to be is something that hinders a lot of people from achieving their goals in life. But what do you think would happen if you actually stop being afraid and start trying?

Simu Liu made history as the star of the first Asian-fronted movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which garnered him The People’s Choice Award for Favorite Action Movie Star. Simu also starred in the Award winning CBC/Netflix comedy series Kim’s Convenience, which won the ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in 2017 and Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. It was the first Canadian television series with an all-Asian lead cast, the series chronicles the day-to-day micro-dramas encountered by a Korean immigrant family that runs a corner grocery store. He wrote his very first book, We Are Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, which tackles his struggles with parental expectations and stereotypes.

Want to be a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach? Get the Digital Guide and Workbook from Jay Shetty https://jayshettypurpose.com/fb-getting-started-as-a-life-coach-podcast/

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro
06:30 Simu’s famous 2018 tweet & how he started to pursue his acting dream
11:11 Simu’s relationship with his parents
17:48 Understanding our parents sacrifices
20:55 How different parenting was in Simu’s home
25:40 Why Simu’s parents hate the way he writes the book
29:05 How he repaired & amended his relationship with his parents
37:58 Bringing in your parents into the journey that they can understand
39:35 Simu’s business background
44:12 Giving your own self the validation that you need
47:09 Identifying the things that you can control
53:35 Simu’s Final Five

Episode Resources

Simu Liu | Instagram
Simu Liu | Twitter
Simu Liu | TikTok
We Were Dreamers

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