From Number‑Crunching to Number‑Crushing: Simu Liu’s Unexpected Journey
The humble beginnings of a future MCU icon
Did you know that before the crowd‑pounding action scenes of Shang‑Chi, the same Simu Liu was crunching numbers in an accountant’s office?In 2014, he decided to try his hand at a quick stock‑photo shoot—just a few smiling snapshots that would later surface on the internet. It’s the kind of “back‑story” that goes viral, because talk about Chic meets “oh‑my‑god, I did this!”
The 2017 tweet that sparked a meme‑culture
When Liu hit the Twitter feed in 2017, he shared a little joke: “Call @Alanis Morissette because I just died from irony. I did a stock photo shoot in 2014 and it ended up here. I used to be an accountant.”
And by 2020, he was laughing at even himself: “Legitimately wondering if I am the greatest stock photo model of all time. Totally unrelated note, please stop buying these photos.”
Why the stock photographs became internet gold
People started digging through the old shots—sold to Getty, titled “Cheerful East Asian coworker”, “Smiling business person”, or simply “Eager coworker”—and making memes.
“Simu Liu’s stock photos are so funny, help #$&@*.”“You’re cool, but not Simu Liu stock photos kinda cool.”The threads were all about the actor displaying his “serious” side (you know, the accountant stare) in a white‑collar setting, and then switching to a superhero swagger in Shang‑Chi.
The actor’s own take on the satire
Liu didn’t sit back. In one tweet he posted a pic of himself being “funny” while pointing at a laptop: “Me laughing at people who thought we’d flop.”
And it’s fair—Shang‑Chi opened with $95 million worldwide, topping the box office charts in Singapore, so the joke had a solid comeback.
Quick guide to finding Simu’s stock‑photo moments
If you want to hunt down the pre‑hero images, just search Getty for keywords like “cheerful East Asian coworker” or “business person smiling.” Lucky for fans, it’s super easy to find the old glitter shots that we can remix into new memes or just enjoy a nostalgic flashback.
The present role: Shang‑Chi in Singapore cinemas
“Martial‑arts master Shang‑Chi confronts the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.”
Bottom line
Simu Liu’s trajectory—from accountant to Asian superhero—didn’t stay hidden. By poking fun at himself and leaning into the stock‑photo culture, he created a relatable, humorous narrative that fans love to share.
And that’s the power of a good selfie: it doesn’t just turn into a meme; it turns into a reminder that heroes can start from the ordinary, one stock‑photo click at a time.
