'Shang-Chi' Star Simu Liu Has A Somethings To Say About Ethan Hawke's Dialect Coach On 'Moon Knight.'
Simu Liu has been throwing a little shade the way of fellow MCU alum Ethan Hawke lately. Specifically, about Hawke's poor attempt at speaking fluent Mandarin in the hit Disney+ series Marvel's Moon Knight.
Taking to Twitter to air his grievances, the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star was quick to call out the shabby job of the on-set dialect coach, saying:
"Alright, Arthur Harrow needs to fire his Mandarin teacher."
The episode in question, "Episode 2: Summon The Suit," has a scene where Hawke is walking with Oscar Isaac's Steven Grant, where he begins to speak to a young girl in Mandarin. Even having only taken two semesters in college, even I was a bit suspect of the dialogue myself.
In a recent sit down with GQ, Liu went into further detail about what he really meant by the social media comment:
"If you really break it down, there was a translator that probably shouldn't have been a translator. There were probably a couple of people in the decision-making process that should have raised a flag that didn't.
"I have full appreciation for the fact that Mandarin is not an easy language. I didn't want to make it into a big political thing. I just wanted to make fun of it because the sound that came out of [Hawke's] mouth did not resemble Mandarin in any way, shape or form."
Tell us how you really feel, Simu.
This is not a slight on Ethan Hawke, who more than likely was saying the lines as he was instructed, but more of a critique on the industry.
In all seriousness, when an actor has to speak another language or capture a specific accent, care should be taken by those on set who are in the know. Language is more than just a means of communication - it is also an integral part of a cultural identity, to be treated with respect.
With Hollywood's less-than-stellar representation of so many ethnicities over the years, it is only fair to be accurate when attempting these scenes.
