Simu Liu Says He Grew Up The 'Definition Of Poor' & That Treating His Parents Is The Greatest
“We were discount-aisle shoppers at the supermarket, getting all the stuff that was about to go bad."
Simu Liu and his pup. Right: Simu Liu as a baby with his dad.
Simu Liu opened up about his upbringing in Ontario and how wonderful it is to be able to support his parents now.
The Canadian celeb recently hosted the BoxLunch Holiday Gala which benefited Feeding America where he donated $100,000 from his own personal funds to the cause.
"I feel a very personal connection to their mission," he explained. "The pandemic has adversely affected many communities of colour and families."
"I saw and felt that within circles of people that my parents knew, my extended family knew, and witnessed just how difficult things have been over the last couple of years."
He mentioned that after his family immigrated to Canada they were "the definition of poor."
“We were discount-aisle shoppers at the supermarket, getting all the stuff that was about to go bad," Liu explained to Variety following his big moment on stage. "We didn’t really have any savings to our name, no support system to back us up."
As well, he explained that he's aware of his new financial privilege following his success in Shang-Chi and beyond.
"You turn the clock back six years ago, I was in credit card debt wondering when I was ever going to be able to break free of minimum payments and interest and the struggling artist’s lifestyle," the Marvel actor explained.
“The privilege that I’ve experienced, just how fortunate my life has been, how amazingly blessed I’ve been in these last few years, that’s not lost on me."
Now, Liu has the ability give back as well as treat his parents, like when he bought them a new "Tessie" a few months ago.
"It’s the greatest feeling in the world," he told the outlet of spoiling his mom and dad. "They very begrudgingly continue to support me. It’s been wonderful seeing them light up and getting to enjoy the fruits of our shared success."
"My parents continue to surprise me every day with their capacity for growth and empathy," he captioned his Instagram post in September where he bought his parents the pricey car.
"This is but a tiny token of gratitude. Your boy might be 33 and a Marvel superhero, but he needs his mama to set him straight every once in a while."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.