Simu Liu was born on April 19, 1989, in Harbin, China.
He is a Chinese-born Canadian actor, author, and former stuntman best known for playing the title role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Who is Simu Liu?
Simu Liu is a Canadian actor who became the first Asian lead of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. He earned that role in 2019 after years of steady work in Canadian television and stunt performing.
Before Marvel, Liu built a following playing Jung Kim on the CBC sitcom Kim’s Convenience, a role he held from 2016 to 2021. He also appeared in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in 2023, playing one of the Kens alongside Ryan Gosling.
Liu published a memoir, We Were Dreamers, in 2022, the same year Time magazine named him one of its 100 most influential people in the world.
He has since expanded into producing and venture investing, launching Markham Valley Ventures in 2023 to back minority-led startups.
He is now engaged to Interscope Records digital marketing director Allison Hsu, and he recently wrapped production on Avengers: Doomsday.
Early Life of Simu Liu
Simu Liu was born in Harbin, China, and spent his first five years there in his grandparents’ care while his parents pursued graduate studies abroad.
He has described that early childhood as happy despite modest conditions, including an apartment without consistent running water.
His parents, Zhenning and Zheng Liu, later brought him to Canada, settling first in Kingston before moving the family to Mississauga, Ontario. Both parents built careers as engineers after years of balancing coursework with jobs like dishwashing to support the family.
Liu has written openly about the pressure of growing up under strict expectations, describing his parents’ approach as shaped by the hardship they experienced during China’s Cultural Revolution.
He detailed this dynamic, along with an eventual reconciliation with his parents, in his 2022 memoir.
Simu Liu Age
Simu Liu is 37 years old as of 2026, born on April 19, 1989. His zodiac sign is Aries.
He earned his breakthrough role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2019, at age 30, after years of stunt work and supporting television roles.
Liu has spent the years since building a career that spans film, television, publishing, and venture investing.
Simu Liu Ethnicity and Nationality
Simu Liu is Chinese-Canadian, born in Harbin, China, and raised primarily in Ontario, Canada. He holds Canadian citizenship and has spoken frequently about his immigrant upbringing.
He has described his early years in China as formative to his identity, even after immigrating to Canada at age five.
Liu has used his platform to advocate for greater Asian representation in Hollywood, a theme that runs through both his acting career and his memoir.
Simu Liu Height and Weight
Simu Liu stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, or about 1.80 meters. His weight has not been publicly confirmed with precision, though he maintains an athletic build tied to his background in stunt work.
He trained extensively in martial arts and physical conditioning to prepare for his role as Shang-Chi. Liu has spoken about the demanding fitness regimen required for the role, which included months of combat choreography training.
Simu Liu Education
Liu attended the University of Toronto Schools before enrolling at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario. He graduated with an honors degree in business administration in 2011.
That business background led him first into accounting rather than acting. Liu worked for roughly nine months as an accountant at Deloitte before being let go in April 2012, a turning point that pushed him toward stunt work and acting.
Simu Liu Career
Simu Liu’s career began in stunt work and background acting after he left accounting in 2012. He appeared as an extra in Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim and worked stunts on the TV miniseries Heroes Reborn.
Early Career
Liu landed his first significant recurring role on the Omni Television crime drama Blood and Water in 2015, appearing in seven episodes as a series regular. That performance earned him nominations at both the Canadian Screen Awards and the ACTRA Awards in 2017.
He built on that momentum with a starring role on Kim’s Convenience, the CBC sitcom that ran from 2016 to 2021. Liu played Jung Kim across the show’s full run, earning an ACTRA Award for the role and expanding his recognition well beyond Canada.
Shang-Chi and Marvel Breakthrough
Disney announced at Comic-Con in 2019 that Liu would play the title role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, marking Marvel’s first film centered on an Asian-led cast. Liu had publicly campaigned for Marvel to cast an Asian actor in a leading role years before landing the part himself.
The film’s production faced repeated delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic before finally opening in theaters on September 3, 2021. It earned generally positive reviews and became a commercial success, establishing Liu as a global leading man.
Recent Work
Liu joined the cast of Barbie in 2023, playing one of the film’s Ken characters alongside Ryan Gosling under director Greta Gerwig.
He has continued expanding into production through his company, Mythic Journey Productions, and into venture capital through Markham Valley Ventures, which he launched in 2023 to support minority-led startups.
In December 2025, Liu premiered his new Peacock series, The Copenhagen Test. He also completed filming on Avengers: Doomsday, continuing his role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Simu Liu Awards and Recognition
Liu won an ACTRA Award for his work on Kim’s Convenience and a Canadian Screen Award for his performance in Blood and Water. He has also received additional nominations from both organizations across his television career.
In 2022, Time magazine named Liu one of its 100 most influential people in the world. He also became the first East Asian man to appear on the cover of Men’s Health magazine since 2010, when the honor featured actor Jet Li.
Simu Liu Fiancée
Simu Liu is engaged to Allison Hsu, a digital marketing director at Interscope Records. The couple went public with their relationship in November 2022, making their red carpet debut together that December at the Violent Night premiere in Los Angeles.
Liu proposed to Hsu in Paris in May 2025, sharing photos of the moment in front of the Eiffel Tower. Hsu has worked at Interscope since 2017, rising from an internship during her time at UCLA to her current marketing role, and was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2022.
Simu Liu Net Worth
Simu Liu’s estimated net worth is $12 million as of 2026. His income comes primarily from his acting career, along with book royalties, brand endorsements, and his venture capital work.
He has built that fortune through steady growth since his 2021 breakthrough in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Liu has also diversified his income through producing credits, a published memoir, and his investment firm, Markham Valley Ventures.
Simu Liu Social Media
Liu is active on Instagram and X under the handle @SimuLiu, where he shares updates on his career, relationship, and advocacy work. He has used the platform extensively to discuss representation in Hollywood and his path from accounting to acting.
He also maintains a presence on TikTok, where he posts behind-the-scenes content and personal updates. Liu has built a substantial following across platforms since his rise to international fame in 2021.
The Bottom Line
Simu Liu became the first Asian actor to lead a Marvel Cinematic Universe film when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opened in September 2021. He built toward that role through years of stunt work and a starring run on the CBC sitcom Kim’s Convenience from 2016 to 2021.
Liu left a career in accounting at Deloitte in 2012 to pursue acting, a decision he later detailed in his 2022 memoir, We Were Dreamers. That same year, Time magazine named him one of its 100 most influential people in the world.
Liu is engaged to Allison Hsu and recently wrapped filming on Avengers: Doomsday following the December 2025 premiere of his Peacock series, The Copenhagen Test. We hope you enjoyed reading about Simu Liu. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!