Simu Liu hosted the JUNOS on May 15, and the Marvel actor may have a future in hosting or roasting if he ever gets sick of acting.
Liu brought the house down Sunday night, and while he spent the evening highlighting Canadian artists and culture, he also managed to poke fun at a few fellow celebs, the United States and Canada.
From light-hearted quips about the Toronto Maple Leafs to jokes about Canada's affordable housing market, here are eight times Liu threw shade while hosting the JUNOS.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs are out of the playoffs after losing game seven on Saturday, and Liu joked that fans may need to utilize pacemakers, a Canadian invention, just to keep up in his "I Am Canadian" speech.
"Not a lot of people know this, but Canada also invented the pacemaker, which we all desperately need because the Leafs keep giving us heart attacks," said Liu, closing the joke with "Better luck next year, boys."
Affordable housing in Canada
Liu continued his "I Am Canadian" speech with a jab at Canada's housing market, joking that "in Canada, you can truly have anything. Except for affordable housing. That one's a tough one."
2022 Oscars slap
Liu referenced the infamous Oscars 2022 moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in his opening monologue and invited the crowd and several stars to give him a go.
"Now we are broadcasting live at Budweiser Stage, so if anyone has ever wanted to go viral, like around the world, now's your chance," said Liu as he smacked his own cheek.
"Come on. The floor is open," urged Liu as he pretended to brace himself for a slap. "Have at her."
"No one? Avril? Shawn? Any takers? Front row? Nobody wants to slap me? OK, sure," he joked.
'Making it in America'
Famous celebrities in Canada tend to move to the United States when their careers take off, and Liu joked that he and other celebs in attendance had fulfilled the dream of "making it in America."
"We're here to celebrate artists like Shawn Mendes, Avril Lavigne and Arcade Fire, who like me, have all fulfilled the ultimate Canadian dream of making it in America," teased Liu.
A women's right to chose
On a more serious note, Liu seemed to throw some shade at abortion access in the U.S. and the landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade potentially being revoked, highlighting that in Canada, "a woman always has the right to choose."
Michael Bublé roasts Shawn Mendes
Michael Bublé playfully poked fun at Shawn Mendes while giving Liu over 100 tips on how to host the JUNOS in the show's opening skit on Sunday night.
"Tip 74: never, ever, look at Shawn Mendes directly in the eyeballs," warned Bublé while holding a massive binder of tips titled "Bublés Guide To The JUNOS Volume One."
COVID-19 lockdowns
It's no secret that Toronto has been itching to get back to live events after two years of COVID-19 lockdowns, and Liu wasn't shy about pointing out the crowd's energy.
"Some crazy energy, Toronto. It's almost as if you guys have been cooped up at home for two years straight or something."
Toronto mans
@narcitytoronto @Simu Liu gives his best “Toronto Mans,” impression 🤣 #torontomansbelike #toronto #JUNOS
Liu shouted out "Toronto mans" on Sunday night and even gave his own impression of what a "Toronto mans" is to reporters in a Q&A session later in the night.
"So whatever your background or gender, even if it's Toronto Mans, everyone is fam," Liu joked in his 'I Am Canadian' speech.
Later that night, he gave his best impression saying, "Toronto mans. Man, how do I even explain that, though, fam? It's not even a descriptor. It's like a mindset dawg. You're either for the mandem, or you're not, bro. Do you know what I mean? I mean, honestly, that is the only answer that is available, brah. 905 til I die!"
