WE WERE DREAMERS

Immigrant from Harbin, China. Former Deloitte accountant. Marvel Cinematic Universe's first leading Asian superhero.

Simu Liu is all of the above and more, and as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opposite Awkwafina and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, he's at the center of a landmark cultural moment.

You can think of WE WERE DREAMERS as Simu's superhero origin story. Witty, honest, inspiring and relatable, WE WERE DREAMERS weaves together the narratives of two generations in a Chinese immigrant family who are inextricably tied to one another even as they are torn apart by deep cultural misunderstanding. Let's just say, it's really hard to be seen as cool amongst your peers when your parents assign you hours of extra homework every night; and it's similarly hard to admit to those parents, years later, not only that you've lost your respectable accounting job -- the one they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in preparing you for -- but also that you kinda want to be an actor.

Going beyond his own experiences, Simu tells the story of his parents' decision to leave him behind to be raised by his grandparents while they sought a future in North America, and of the shock and loss he experienced when the father he hardly even remembered showed up one day to take him away from the only home he ever knew. He offers a no holds barred look at the struggles he and his parents experienced as they tried to become a family while dealing with culture gaps, racism, and wildly conflicting definitions of success. And he shares many entertaining stories of his own incredible path to success, from the acting gigs he landed through Craigslist ads to dressing up as Spiderman at kids' birthday parties and serving as Pete Wentz's stunt double on a Fallout Boy music video.

Ultimately it is Simu's singular determination to make his dreams come true that not only leads him to succeed as an actor but also opens the door to reconciliation with his parents. For by the time he is 30 -- the same age his parents were when they immigrated -- he recognizes that he and his parents have much in common, most notably their courage to dream, and to dream big.

WE WERE DREAMERS is a story about growing up as a third culture kid, about losing and finding family, and about making your own luck. Much more than one family's story, it is part of a larger narrative about Asian American culture -- a colorful and nuanced tale that is worthy of being told and deserving of a wide readership.

SIMU LIU is an actor, writer, story editor and producer. He stars on the family comedy “Kim's Convenience” and his credits include ABC's “Fresh Off the Boat,” NBC's “Taken,” BBC America's “Orphan Black,” and OMNI's “Blood and Water.” Simu also co-wrote and co-produced the short film, Meeting Mommy, which has amassed more than 588k views through Wong Fu Productions. His production company, 4:12 Entertainment, is named after the day he was laid off as an accountant. He has toured to colleges and universities to speak about representation, growing up in an immigrant household, and having the courage to pursue a passion. Whether he is bringing audiences to support Crazy Rich Asians or The Farewell or personally fighting Asian stereotypes, Simu is at the forefront of expanding the conversation about representation in Hollywood.