Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Got A Hilarious Oscars Message From His Dad
For a Hollywood actor, going to the Oscars for the very first time can be a defining moment (and perhaps even the pinnacle) in some people's careers — especially when their movie or they themselves are nominated. For "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star Simu Liu, this was the case this year, and luckily for him (and all of us), his dad had some hilarious advice to offer up before the big night.
Liu, decked out in an eye-catching red suit, was not only on hand at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 27, to show support for "Shang-Chi" (which nabbed a best visual effects nomination), but he was also tasked with presenting the award for best international feature film with Tiffany Haddish. The Canadian-born Marvel hero wound up doing a great job with Haddish and even garnered a few laughs with some jokes centered around life north of the border. "Simu Liu really representing! LOVE!!" tweeted one Oscars viewer. "The fact Simu Liu went to western and lived in London, Ontario, and now he's on the Oscars stage is so inspirational," another said.
But, while Liu was getting showered with praise from people after the show, it was his fathers' hilarious words of encouragement (or lack thereof) in the days leading up to the ceremony that may have had the biggest impact on him.
Liu's dad told him 'the Oscars aren't about YOU!'
In classic dad fashion, Simu Liu's father apparently gave it to the actor straight — with some extra helpings of tough love — before he went to the Oscars last week. "My father, full of encouraging words: 'So the Oscars are coming up, have you found out what category you're presenting yet? Also want to remind you that the Oscars aren't about YOU!'" Liu tweeted on March 23, just four days before the big show. "Thanks, Dad."
Of course, Liu's Twitter followers came to his rescue immediately after the tweet was sent out and showered the actor with praise. Twitter user @KeriReddy1D wrote, "You should have told him that YOU ARE the moment and waited for his reaction." Elsewhere, @PinkyLiu20 tweeted, "Say back to Your Dad, 'I don't need Oscar. I got ten rings," with thousands favoriting that particular post. "Asian parent encouragement never changes, doesn't matter about the level of success," Twitter follower @Danjitsu pointed out.
"Shang-Chi" wound up losing the best visual effects award to Denis Villeneuve's "Dune." The 2021 Marvel hit, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was also nominated.