Long before we had the shirtless men of Crazy Rich Asians, we had shirtless Jung (Simu Liu), the brother of Janet (Andrea Bang) from CBC’s Kim’s Convenience. He was probably Canada’s best kept secret, but no longer.
Yesterday, Liu retweeted a fan who said they spent more time “dreaming of a romantic comedy starring Henry Golding and Simu Liu” than watching the Emmys on Monday night. Liu casually wrote, “Hey @henrygolding, I’m down if you are.”
Hey @henrygolding, I’m down if you are. https://t.co/jSP0iBFhLQ
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) September 19, 2018
We freaked out, of course, at the concept of Canadian star Liu and internet boyfriend Golding co-starring in a rom-com. Soon enough, Golding—who recently announced he’ll be appearing in a holiday romance with Emilia Clarke at the end of the year—responded with “Sign me up,” the fist pump emoji and a HEART.
Sign me up 👊🏼❤️
— Henry Golding (@henrygolding) September 19, 2018
What does it all mean? Nothing concrete, tbh, but it continues to prove that all the classic Hollywood excuses for not casting Asian actors are absolute bull—not only are fans excited about seeing more diverse representation on screen, the actors are literally volunteering THEMSELVES.
The brief Twitter convo also suggests a budding bromance, since Liu answered Golding with “maybe see you again soon?” We just have one question: Can we come, too??
Kim’s Convenience, which has been an acclaimed hit in Canada for ages (seriously, if you’re still sleeping on this, wake up!) just reached international audiences in July, thanks to Netflix and, as The Globe and Mail reported, “They like us, they really like us!” Later that month, a tweet calling Liu a “hot basket of buttered bread” (accurate) went viral, and he’s now well on his way to viral stardom.
Oh y'all. @SimuLiu is a hot basket of buttered bread omfg pic.twitter.com/X4SgMpuzmp
— MOON VILLAIN 🌒 (@stealingsand) July 29, 2018
While we’re not fans of toxic objectification, this tweet was in good fun and Liu even responded with, “I’m an Asian male and in 29 years I’ve never been referred to as that one single time. So let me have this one guys.”
Retweeted because I'm an Asian male and in 29 years I've never been referred to as that one single time. So let me have this one guys. https://t.co/6ZTEOvbEHX
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) July 29, 2018
As #AsianAugust picked up speed, the show became what Slate called a “word-of-mouth” sensation. CanCon gaining traction and proof of demand for Asian romantic leads—these are really good things for pop culture, y’all. A couple of users suggested a buddy cop movie with the two as well, which is maybe a little less exciting, but we’d still take it!
A buddy cop movie starring @henrygolding and @SimuLiu please!
— Dan Santat – The Fresh Prince of Pasadena (@dsantat) September 19, 2018
At the very least, if we don’t get an original movie with the two, we and (and everyone on the #SimuForCarlton hashtag on Twitter), have our fingers crossed for Liu as Carlton, Rachel Chu’s (Constance Wu) half-brother in the Crazy Rich Asians sequel.
hi @jonmchu! have you cast @SimuLiu as Carlton Bao for China Rich Girlfriend yet bc just look at him #CrazyRichAsians #ChinaRichGirlfriend pic.twitter.com/X5a4ytWYpE
— Irene Kim (@enerianna) September 12, 2018
Related:
Sandra Oh’s Real Win? Making Her #ImmigrantParents Proud
“Crazy Rich Asians Isn’t Just a Movie—It’s a Sign That I Matter, Too”
#FirstTimeISawMe Shows Why Diversity in Movies Matters
