Simu Liu Shared Shirtless Beach Vacation Photos: ‘This Ken Took His Barbie To Sicily’

Simu Liu as Ken in Barbie
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is wildly popular franchise, one that has the power to make household names out of its stars. Actor Simu Liu knows this all too well, as he was catapulted into superstardom after playing the title role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He’s got a number of upcoming projects in the works, including a role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. And Liu recently shared shitless vacation photos, with a caption that reads “this Ken took his Barbie to Sicily.” But did they have a musical number like in the upcoming movie?

The trailers for Barbie have been delightfully bonkers, and Simu Liu looks like he’s going to be able to flex his muscles– both comedic and physical. And while the promotional tour is about to kick off, the Kim’s Convenience star was sure to squeeze in some downtime via a trip to Sicily with his girlfriend Allison Hsu. Liu posted on Instagram about their trip, including some shirtless photos. Check it out below:

Talk about a beautiful view. And no, I’m not talking about Simu Liu’s ripped physique. It looks like he and Hsu had a great vacation in a stunning location. Do you hear that? You can almost hear the White Lotus Season 2 theme song playing in the background.

Liu shared this series of images with his 3 million followers on Instagram, and the comments section is filled with people thirsting over the happy couple. This is likely an experience that he’s grown accustomed to since the release of Shang-Chi, which included a shirtless fight scene for the 34 year-old actor. And smart money says future projects like Barbie are only going to increase this trend.

This post by Simu Liu is just the latest example of the actor being super active/funny on social media. He’s got quite a following in outlets like Instagram and Twitter, with Liu sometimes poking fun at himself in the process. But his Sicily photos are mostly just sweet, and offer a peek behind the curtain on his personal life/relationship.

As his caption suggests, Liu is playing one of the versions of Ken in Geta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie. The trailer show him involved in a big dance number (or two?), while also feuding with Ryan Gosling’s Ken. The story looks bonkers, and it should be fascinating to see how it all plays out. One thing is clear: the Barbie cast is great.

Barbie hits theaters on July 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.