Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu exaggerated martial arts skills to land Marvel role – “I wanted the job really badly” : Bollywood News

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings breakthrough star Simu Liu recently admitted that he "exaggerated" his martial arts experience to land the titularrole in the Marvel film.

Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu exaggerated martial arts skills to land Marvel role – “I wanted the job really badly”

During a virtual chat with West Side Story's Ariana DeBose for Variety’s Actors on Actors, Simu Liu shared how he “bluffed” his way into the role for the first Asian-fronted film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “When I got the part, they asked me about my martial arts background and experience, which of course I exaggerated because I wanted the job really badly.”

He went on to explain that he “had done some work as an on-again, off-again stuntman, but if we're honest, I think I was more of a dancer than I ever was a martial artist.”

“Pretty much from the moment I was cast, I started working with trainers and learning how to move. I had such awful flexibility. My groin and my tendons were just so stiff.” Simu Liu continued. “A big part of that early process was just bending my body and trying to rip those legs apart.”

The 32-year-old actor further shared, “Making it appear as if it is not over-choreographed was equally important for our movie. We worked with an incredible action director in Brad Allan who sadly passed away last year. He came from the Jackie Chan stunt team and has such an awareness of fighting in a way that is dance-like. He played such a big role, alongside our fight choreographers, in making each action sequence feel like a living, breathing thing."

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings was a blockbuster hit being the second-biggest film opening during the pandemic and earned the highest audience score of any Marvel Cinematic Universe film on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was received well by both audiences and critics and has officially been confirmed for a sequel helmed by director Destin Daniel Cretton.

Also Read: Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu responds to critics using his past stock image photos