After most famously playing a Marvel superhero and a Ken doll, actor Simu Liu now takes on the role of an AI robot in Netflix’s latest sci-fi thriller “Atlas,” starring Jennifer Lopez.
Traditionally known for playing “nice guy” characters, Liu found it refreshing to take on the villainous role of a robot identified as “the first AI terrorist” in the fictional high-tech world.
“I feel like for an actor, you always want to go where people don’t expect you to be,” Liu tells NextShark. “I think part of that went into the decision making of wanting to portray Harlan. I felt like he was very much in stark contrast with a lot of the other characters that I portrayed.”
Drawing inspiration from iconic AI characters like Lieutenant Commander Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and HAL 9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the 35-year-old actor aimed to blend these influences with his own unique take to create a “terrifying” and “chilling” character. Playing a villain as opposed to a hero this time around offered Liu greater freedom and fewer constraints, which he says culminated in a thrilling fight scene he thoroughly enjoyed.
“I’m kind of a very competitive person, and I hate when I can’t do something, so I always try to make sure that I’m putting…
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