>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
# WE ARE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK, "NEW YORK TIMES"
BEST SELLER "WE WERE DREAMERS: AN IMMIGRANT SUPERHERO ORIGIN
STORY."
TELL ME ABOUT WHY DID YOU WANT TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
>> WELL, STEPHEN, I JUST DON'T WANT MY 15 MINUTES TO END, YOU
KNOW.
I MADE ONE MOVIE AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING.
NO, UH, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT STORY TO TELL --
AND, BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT A STORY ABOUT ME OR MY LIFE IN
HOLLYWOOD OR BEING A MOVIE STAR OR WHATEVER HAVE YOU.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, IN ME, I HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE STORY ABOUT MY
FAMILY, THIS MULTI-GENERATIONAL TALE THAT STARTS IN CHINA IN THE
'60s AND '70s AND REALLY ENDS IN THE MOMENT I BOOK THIS
ROLE OF A LIFETIME, BUT IT'S THIS STORY OF A FAMILY THAT
REALLY WASN'T AFRAID TO LOOK TO THE HORIZON AND BASICALLY PUT IT
ALL ON THE LINE AND PURSUE THEIR DREAMS.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOUR GRANDPARENTS CAME OVER FIRST TO
CANADA.
>> MY PARENTS KIM OVER FIRST.
>> Stephen: KILLED YOU LIVE WITH YOUR GRANDPARENTS?
>> I LIVED WITH MY GRANDPARENTS UNTIL I WAS ABOUT FOUR AND A
HALF IN CHINA AND, ONE DAY, A STRANGER SHOWS UP AT THE DOOR
AND HE'S, LIKE, I'M YOUR DAD, COME WITH ME, WE'RE GOING TO
CANADA.
AND USUALLY YOU WOULD GET ARRESTED FOR THAT, BUT HE
ACTUALLY WAS MY DAD, AND HE TOOK ME AWAY FROM EVERYTHING I KNEW
AND BROUGHT ME TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT PLACE.
>> Stephen: ONE THING THAT'S COMMON ACROSS A LOT OF CULTURES
IS IMMIGRANT PARENTS PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THEIR CHILDREN TO
LIVE A STEADY LIFESTYLE.
WERE THEY HAPPY ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING CAREER?
>> THEY WERE ECSTATIC.
I WORKED WITH A COMPANY CALLED DELOITTE, WHICH IF YOU'RE
FAMILIAR, IS A MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATION, KIND OF A BRAND
NAME POWER.
AND MY PARENTS ARE, LIKE, GREAT, OUR JOB IS DONE, ALL THE MONEY
AND TIME WE SPENT ON THIS KID IS FINALLY WORTH IT.
>> Stephen: AND HOW DID YOU TELL THEM THAT YOU GOT FIRED?
>> I DIDN'T.
( LAUGHTER ) AT LEAST NOT RIGHT AWAY.
I DEFINITELY TOOK THE REQUISITE AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE, LIKE, I
THINK I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING I ACTUALLY LIKE TO DO NOW, AND I
SOMEHOW FIND MY WAY ON TO CRAIGSLIST AND A MOVIE SET
BECAUSE I LOVED IT SO MUCH THE FIRST TIME, AND I KIND OF CAUGHT
THE BUG.
>> Stephen: DID THEY ACCEPT THE ACTING THING?
HOW DID THEY FEEL ABOUT THE ACTING THING?
>> YEAH, I TOOK THAT ONE.
THAT WAS A TOUGH CONVERSATION.
AND I REALLY WAS GOING TO KEEP IT FROM THEM FOR AS LONG AS I
COULD, BUT I BOOKED THIS NATIONAL COMMERCIAL THAT WAS ON
THE VERGE OF AIRING ACROSS CANADA, AND, SO, ON THE EVE OF
IT, I, LIKE, KNEW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SEE ME ON TV THE NEXT
DAY.
I KIND OF SAT THEM DOWN AND I SAID, THIS IS MY LIFE.
AND, NO, IT TID NOT GO OVER WELL.
NO, NO, NO.
>> Stephen: NOW, COME ON, "TIME" 100, "NEW YORK TIMES"
BEST SELLER.
YOU'RE ANOTHER KEN IN THE BARBIE MOVIE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT'S VERY VAGUE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE BUT YOU
DID HAVE TO WAX YOUR LEGS.
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: AND WHAT ELSE?
( CHEERING ) >> LIKE A DOLPHIN, BABY!
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU KNOW, I KNOW
WHAT THOSE DOLLS LOOK LIKE.
WAS IT JUST THE LEGS?
( LAUGHTER ) >> IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF A
MOVIE, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: I'M JUST TRYING TO SELL TICKETS.
>> FAIR ENOUGH, FAIR ENOUGH.
THEY GAVE ME THE CHOICE VERY EARLY ON.
THEY WERE, LIKE, FIRST OF ALL, DOGS DON'T HAVE LEG HAIR, YOU'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO GET RID OF THIS.
AND I GOT IT WAXED OFF BECAUSE I WANT TO BE AN ALLY.
I WANT TO BE AN ALLY TO EVERYBODY OUT THERE WHO HAS
WAXED THEIR LEGS ON THE REGULAR.
I WANT TO KNOW AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I FEEL YOUR PAIN NOW.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I GET IT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!
"WE WERE DREAMERS: AN IMMIGRANT SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORY" IS
AVAILABLE NOW!
SIMU LIU, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )