Simu Liu fulfills broadway dream with 'Oh, Mary!' debut

Simu Liu has fulfilled a lifelong dream by stepping onto the Broadway stage in the award-winning comedy Oh, Mary!.

The 36-year-old actor, known for his roles in Shang-Chi and Kim’s Convenience, will make his Broadway debut in the award-winning comedy Oh, Mary! at New York City’s Lyceum Theatre.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to do Broadway. And I think the question has never been if, it’s when,” Liu told People.

He described the play as the ideal project for his stage debut. “It’s so original and so wonderful; funny, irreverent, goofy, moving and charming. 

Once I saw it, I remember telling my agent, ‘I’d love to do a play like Oh, Mary!.’ And he was like, ‘Well, then … why don’t you just do it?’ And I was like, ‘Wait, can I do that?’ That just set the sequence of events in motion that led to this moment.”

In the production, Liu plays the teacher of Mary Todd Lincoln, a role he says contains “a lot of layers” and sometimes feels like portraying “three, four characters at the same time.” 

While he’s keeping details under wraps, he promises audiences will find each layer “funny in its own way.”

Reflecting on his younger years, Liu admitted he once sought constant validation from others. “I was constantly aware of how I was being perceived. In my younger years, I was desperate for the admiration of others … It’s like being cool in high school. You either have it or you don’t and I most definitely did not. None of the pieces were falling where they should and I hated it. I was a sad kid,” he told The Independent.

Now, Liu says, he’s more focused on following his passions than seeking approval. Starring on Broadway, he notes, is a “perfect” way to do just that.