‘Kim’s Convenience’ star Simu Liu calls out ‘overwhelmingly white’ producers amid show cancellation
There are few shows like Kim’s Convenience on the airwaves today. With the Korean-Canadian Kim family at the forefront, its earlier seasons showed promise for true Asian representation on the small screen.
That's why its abrupt series cancellation came as a surprise to fans, but not so much for its cast and crew.
In a 7-part Facebook post, lead actor Simu Liu called to attention the production behind the show, and how internal decisions lead to its demise.
He first pointed out that the calls to save the show won’t be heard, as it “was not canceled in a traditional manner, i.e. by a network after poor ratings" but by the showrunners themselves.
He went on to say that though the Kim family will no longer be on air, it’s uncanny that the show's only white character—Sharon played by actress Nicole Power—will be given a spin-off series.
“I love and am proud of Nicole, and I want the show to succeed for her... but I remain resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show,” the actor shared.
“And not that they would ever ask, but I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity.”
Liu continued that he was growing “increasingly frustrated” with the way his character, Jung, was being written.
Though he understood that creative differences were expected for any television team, he called the Korean portrayal “doubly confusing” because the show’s writers were “overwhelmingly white and we were a cast of Asian Canadians who had a plethora of lived experiences to draw from and offer to writers.”
“I can appreciate that the show is still a hit and is enjoyed by many people... but I remain fixated on the missed opportunities to show Asian characters with real depth and the ability to grow and evolve.”
“Our writer's room lacked both East Asian and female representation, and also lacked a pipeline to introduce diverse talents. Aside from [co-creator Ins Choi], there were no other Korean voices in the room,” he continued.
This was something we pushed for but were (clearly) unsuccessful at. Hence, huge slap in the face for us when producers claimed they ‘couldn’t find’ anyone to fill the showrunners’ shoes. https://t.co/dFSMfGnImh
— Simu Liu (刘思慕) (@SimuLiu) June 2, 2021
The Marvel actor has been consistent in airing out his concerns on social media, as he promoted its final season on Twitter with the caption:
“Give it a watch and let's talk about it. Lord knows I have opinions…”
Cannot believe this is the last time I will say this... but the new season of Kim’s Convenience is now out on Netflix.
— Simu Liu (刘思慕) (@SimuLiu) June 2, 2021
Give it a watch and let’s talk about it. Lord knows I have opinions... pic.twitter.com/g58kLXB0fp
Meanwhile, the rest of the cast and producers have yet to comment on Liu’s post.
Read the rest of his post below.
Photos from Simu Liu's Instagram and IMDb