Kim's Convenience's Simu Liu Open To Return Under Certain Circumstances
Though Kim's Convenience ended under complicated circumstances, star Simu Liu would happily return - if the right people were involved.
Simu Liu says he's willing to do another season of Kim's Convenience, but it would have to be under a certain set of circumstances. Liu will soon become an international movie star with the release of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but he first rose to fame playing Jung on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience. Despite reaching a wider audience through streaming and being a beloved series, Kim's Convenience came to an end earlier this year when its creators opted not to continue with it. Since then, Liu has spoken out against the show's cancellation at length.
Initially, Liu kept his comments to brief statements on social media wherein he stated fans deserved a better ending. However, Liu later elaborated on his feelings in a lengthy Facebook post, where he criticized the decision to end the Asian-led show prematurely and shared that lack of off-screen diversity impacted the quality of Kim's Convenience. He received support from co-star Jean Yoon, who added online that she frequently had to speak out against racist storylines. Kim's Convenience season 5 came to an end on CBC earlier this year, and aside from an in-production spin-off, there are no plans for it to continue.
However, Liu isn't against the idea. While speaking to Variety (via ComicBook.com) on the red carpet for Jungle Cruise, Liu was asked if he would be willing to return for another season of Kim's Convenience. "You know, if there was, and it was the right people involved, I would be first in line," he responded. When the interviewer asked him why he spoke out against the cancellation, Liu said this:
"I think it's just this idea that people don’t always get a chance to speak up. Especially for those of us in the industry who feel like we’ve just kind of gotten in, it can be so hard to say what you really feel when there’s so many gatekeepers and so many people who could potentially silence you or affect your future work opportunities, but I just feel like I was in a position where I could have said something that was true and potentially could help the landscape for the better so I took a chance and I’m happy I did."
Though Liu's feelings towards Kim's Convenience's end are very complicated, it's clear he still holds a lot of love for the show and what it stood for. In his Facebook post, Liu explained he has mixed feelings about the spin-off Strays, which will center on the show's lone white character, Shannon (Nicole Power). Liu stated he wouldn't reprise his role in any capacity for the series, but now it looks like if Kim's Convenience should get a proper revival or continuation, he would happily be involved.
Of course, his involvement would also be dependent on the people working on it. Considering Liu's past comments regarding Kim's Convenience, it sounds like he would want more people of color involved behind the scenes, and that he might not want original creators Ins Choi and Kevin White to have a hand in it. That could be an incorrect assumption, but it's clear Liu would want some kind of change in how Kim's Convenience is run. Whether an opportunity to continue it would ever arise remains to be seen, but Liu is open to the idea.
Source: Variety (via ComicBook.com)