What Awkwafina told Shang-Chi co-star Dallas Liu that he’ll never forget

This story is part of I’m So Obsessed (subscribe here), our podcast featuring interviews with actors, artists, celebrities and creative types about their work, career and current obsessions.

Once in a while an actor or artist has a moment when everything comes together. For actor Dallas Liu, that moment is happening right now. He stars as Shuji in the Hulu series PEN15, which is nominated for three Emmy Awards including outstanding comedy series. He can be seen starting Sept. 3 in the new Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. And Netflix just announced that he’ll perform in the upcoming live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

On CNET’s I’m So Obsessed podcast, Liu discusses what it was like filming Shang-Chi and specifically what it was like working with Awkwafina. Liu said she gave him advice that really struck a chord.

“Awkwafina is definitely an inspiration to me. She’s given me a lot of great advice and words of affirmation, telling me that I had a spot in this industry, and that I could definitely become a top star if I kept working at it,” said Liu. “She basically told me to be patient and that my time was coming.”

You can listen to my entire conversation with Liu in the podcast player above or on Apple Podcasts. During our interview, Liu talks about his background as a martial artist, working on PEN15 and being on the set of Shang-Chi.

You can watch season 2 of PEN15 on Hulu and you can see Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters starting this weekend. Subscribe to I’m So Obsessed on your favorite podcast app. In each episode, CNET’s Connie Guglielmo and I catch up with an artist, actor or creator to learn about their work, career and current obsessions.