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"From the beginning, I knew that was going to be a really great partnership"

Shang-Chi star Simu Liu has opened up about his Old Spice commercial in an interview with Screen Rant.

In May, Liu became the first Canadian Old Spice ambassador by featuring in one of their signature adverts.

In the ad, Liu is seen on a camping trip. Suddenly, he realises there is no wifi and it starts raining. “When mother nature gets fresh with you, get fresh back,” the voiceover says.

“Use Old Spice Timber Body Wash and Aluminium Free Deodorant made with real sandalwood,” the voice over continues as the viewers are treated to a clip of a topless Liu.

“So you’ll smell like a real lumberjack,” the voice over says as Liu wields an axe.

Now, the Kim’s Convenience star has discussed why he took on the role in the first place.

Liu revealed that he had just been rejected for a big project before he took on the Old Spice offer.

“I remember I had an audition for a pretty big project that I was really bummed about not getting, because I had made it pretty far,” Liu recalled. “And literally on the same day, my commercial agent gives me a call. He’s like, “Hey, Simu, I’ve got great news. It’s a brand sponsorship, and you’re going to really like it.””

Initially, the 30-year-old actor wasn’t keen to do adverts. However, when he discovered the advert was for Old Spice, he immediately changed his mind.

“At that point, I didn’t know it was Old Spice. I was kind of like, “Oh, I don’t know.” I had just lost out on this big part, and I don’t really care about any commercial right now,” Liu said.

“But then they told me it was Old Spice, and I was like, “Oh!” I totally did a one-eighty because I know what the what the brand is all about, and I love their take on how they approach marketing.”

“You know, just it’s so refreshing, and it’s got such a distinct tone. Kind of ridiculous, but also kind of smart about it at the same time.”

The Chinese Canadian actor went on to say that he was confident in the relationship with Old Spice.

“Even from the beginning, I knew that was going to be a really great partnership.,” he said. “A few weeks later, I was in Montreal, shooting a couple of digital spots that I thought were absolutely hilarious.”

“Everything that we put out afterwards – first of all, not only is it funny, but it’s something that I feel like I have ownership over, because they’re very open to my feedback and my ideas as well. So really, you know, it’s the best possible kind of partnership.”

In related news, Liu was recently mistaken for Chris Pang, who starred in Crazy Rich Asians.

Click here to read our exclusive interview with Liu, in which he answered our readers’ questions.

Shang-Chi is set to be released on 12 February 2021.