Simu Liu co-stars in a new survivalist escape movie about deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue their crewmate. And, he said, the training required him to go to new depths — both mentally and physically.
The actor, who co-stars with Woody Harrelson and Finn Cole in the film “The Last Breath,” says he immersed himself in the world of saturation divers, deep-sea divers who descend to the bottom of the ocean to work on underwater engineering and ocean floor exploration. The movie hits theaters Friday.
The movie dramatically retells the true story of Chris Lemons, a deep-sea diver who survived 40 minutes at the bottom of the North Sea with just 10 minutes worth of air in 2012. Lemons is played by Cole, and Liu plays co-diver David Yuasa. Harrelson plays the third diver, Duncan Allcock.
“On the surface, no pun intended, it’s this incredible story about survival in one of the most treacherous environments you can experience on the planet,” Liu told NBC News. “It’s a window into the lives of these people who work in a field that I don’t think anyone grows up thinking about or really knowing about.”
The actor says he was drawn to the camaraderie displayed by real-life saturation divers. The same spirit was needed between Liu and his co-stars as it was an incredibly physical and demanding role to prepare for.
“I had to do all of my dive training [with Finn] and he was the perfect dive partner because we needed actors that really loved being in the water. Because, if you even have a slight hesitancy or the idea of scuba diving for two months straight, four dives every day feels even a little bit scary or claustrophobic to you, then you probably shouldn’t do a movie like this,” Liu said.
Ultimately, he said, “It’s a story about perseverance, the human spirit and never giving up,”
The actor also reflected on the changes the election has spurred and the fact that he has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s policy decisions.
“The world is hurting right now and I feel like it has never been more difficult for people to be alive and live their lives. I’m not a fan of people who make it more difficult for people to live their lives,” Liu said. “We should all have a right to be happy. We should all have a right to make an honest and decent living with a decent wage. We used to take it as a given but now it doesn’t feel quite as much so.”
The actor had posted multiple videos this year criticizing Trump’s proposed plans for tax reform under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017.
Liu said in a video: “It looks like I will get a tax cut. I wanted to say that I don’t need a tax cut. I’m happy to pay taxes and I actually believe that people like me probably should pay more tax. I’ve been very fortunate and very privileged and I’m happy to pay my fair share.”
Before becoming an actor, Liu studied business administration at the Ivey Business School and briefly worked as an accountant at Deloitte. However, it wasn’t his economics background that prompted him to speak out; rather, he wanted to speak up for those without a voice, he said.
Liu, who is Chinese Canadian, has broken barriers throughout his Hollywood career. Liu made history as the star of the first Asian-fronted movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” He gained further popularity with starring roles in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” “Kim’s Convenience” and “Arthur the King.”
