Actors on Actors: With Ariana DeBose and Sim Liu
Ariana DeBose and Simu Liu - Variety
In a recent YouTube video released by Variety’s YouTube channel, we witness the actors Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) conversing with one another as a part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” segment. The two stars discuss their shared experiences on Saturday Night Live, describe what working with film legends was like, and the difficulty of breaking in as an actor in the Hollywood of today.
“I love that you love ‘So You Think (You Can Dance),’and I love that you have that dance background.”
The discussion starts with Liu stating that Debose lived a dream of his to perform on So You Think You Can Dance, and he goes on to say the show was a passion and obsession for him to the point he neglected his college studies. DeBose describes the show, as an eighteen-year-old, as “the craziest whirlwind of life.” It was a dog-eat-dog situation. She mentions a valuable life lesson was that it wasn’t all about dancing, it was a “show” with casting and a search for storylines. Both DeBose and Liu agree that activity, body awareness, and instructors served as big elements in their respective roles. The discussion went on to the point where Liu revealed that “Shang-Chi…” was his first film, leaving DeBose flabbergasted.
“When you look at the page and the bones of the part, it is one of the greatest roles written for women…So you have to be able to act and show an incredibly wide range of emotions.”
DeBose’s cat starts to make itself known at this point in the conversation. While Debose’s cat remains in the shot, Debose begins talking about her audition for West Side Story. The talk about the audition leads to the next topic of their discussion being the difficulty of “star-making” in modern Hollywood. For their acting prep, Liu participated in dancing and martial arts classes while DeBose took dancing and kickboxing. DeBose claimed the classes touched up her shoulders and educated her in self-defense.
“I think it can be a little bit of a misconception of what we do. I do think people, oftentimes, confuse actor with like meat puppet.”
Both move on to discuss the interactions they had with their respective directors. They disagree with the stereotype of directors being controlling and cynical. For them, directors are very supportive and served as on-set partners. Liu claims that the encapsulating experience of making the character your own is worth the effort. DeBose notes her belief that the mostly AACP crew and cast made the film Shag-Chi… more culturally authentic. Liu agrees and goes through his director’s. Destin Cretton, filmographic accomplishments.
“I feel like the experience of being an SNL host is like an actor flex, a host flex, a how many tools in my personal toolbox can I possibly use to add to anything else that’s going on.”
A mention of both actors’ respective hosting gigs at Saturday Night Live is expanded upon. For them, everything from the cast, crew, and set was exceptional in their set-up.
“There are these moments where you’re just constantly sweating because how do I…just how do I get a job?”
The last discussion between DeBose and Liu is about their respective cast members and their experiences working alongside them. An emotional mention of the actors’ “struggling years” in the industry is also brought up by DeBose that spirals into a talk about the difficulty of the industry. Both close the discussion by expressing their appreciation to Variety for providing an opportunity to learn more about one another.