Winona State University will host “A Conversation With: Simu Liu” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in Harriet Johnson Auditorium, Somsen Hall, as part of the Duran Family Speaker Series. A book signing with Liu also will be held following the Q&A.
Raised in Canada as the son of Chinese immigrants, Liu graduated from business school and found himself working at one of Toronto’s top accounting firms. However, after being laid off in 2012, he decided to pursue a career in the arts.
The accountant–turned–actor made history as the first Asian actor to lead a Marvel Studios film, starring in Destin Daniel Cretton’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” The film received both critical and commercial acclaim, earning Liu the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Action Movie Star.
Since his breakout moment as a Marvel superhero, Liu has been seen alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Greta Gerwig’s record-setting “Barbie,” and performed at the Oscars alongside his fellow Kens. He starred in the Lionsgate family movie “Arthur the King” with Mark Wahlberg, and in Netflix’s sci-fi thriller “Atlas” opposite Jennifer Lopez. Most recently Liu appeared in Amazon’s action-comedy “Jackpot!” opposite John Cena, and in the underwater thriller “Last Breath” opposite Woody Harrelson, which is set to be released through Focus Features in 2025. He is also set to star in and executive produce an unnamed espionage thriller series for Peacock, alongside James Wan and Atomic Monster.
Liu’s rise to fame and advocacy for greater diversity in film and media led him to be named as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022. In addition, he is the author of the New York Times-bestselling memoir, “We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story,” about his family origins.
Ticket Information:
- Tickets for WSU Students are $10.
- Tickets for WSU Faculty and Staff are $20.
- Tickets for the public are $25.
- All ticket sales will take place online at wsustudentunion.universitytickets.com.
“A Conversation With: Simu Liu” is sponsored by the Duran Family Speaker Series and is made possible through a generous gift by Denis Duran, a 1970 graduate of Winona State.
“I was lucky to attend Winona State and appreciate the opportunity it presented me,” said Duran. “My endowment of the Duran Family Speaker Series is one more way for me to give back to Winona State University and to the surrounding communities.”
Established in 1989 as the Lyceum Series, the Duran Family Speaker Series aims to provide enriching cultural and educational opportunities that benefit the university and the communities of Winona and Rochester. The series brings in recognized speakers from the arts, humanities, sciences, business, education, politics, health and human services, and other relevant areas to engage, inform and inspire students, employees and members of the area communities. Additional funding for the Duran Family Speaker Series is provided by the WSU Foundation and Student Life fees.
Tickets and more information on the event can be found at wsustudentunion.universitytickets.com. For more information on the Duran Family Speaker Series visit https://wsu.mn/duran-series.
