Simu Liu sat down with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of hosting the 2024 People's Choice Awards on Sunday, Feb. 18 on NBC, E! and Peacock. THR's Tiffany Taylor gifted Liu a "best host" friendship bracelet and the pair chatted about being Taylor Swift fans, the massive success of Barbie and the hosting advice Liu received from friends Trevor Noah and James Corden. Plus, they played a game of "The Choice Is Yours" with some of this year's PCAs nominees.
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00:00 I know that you're a Swifty, like I am, so I made you something.
00:03 A friendship bracelet?
00:04 A friendship bracelet.
00:05 Get out.
00:06 And read what it says.
00:07 Best host?
00:08 Aww.
00:09 You haven't even seen me do it yet.
00:13 I just know you're going to be the best.
00:14 Thank you so much.
00:15 Since you are a Swifty, what Taylor Swift era would you say you're in right now as you're
00:19 preparing to host the People's Choice Awards?
00:21 I can tell you what era I'm in, maybe like in life.
00:26 It's probably midnights just because Taylor and I are the same, we're both 1989 babies,
00:31 and the things that she sings about in Midnight's is very, it's just a lot of stuff that I'm
00:36 going through right now.
00:37 And also, I will say, just across all of her eras, Taylor's like one of the best at the
00:43 songs for the haters, you know?
00:47 You know, New Romantics, you got Karma, so many, Shake It Off.
00:52 She's like, it's the blueprint right there for like just rising above it all.
00:55 Have you sought out any advice from any previous award show hosts, and if so, what did they
00:59 tell you?
01:00 Yeah, you know, Trevor Noah is a great, great friend, and I was like, he did such an amazing
01:05 job with the Grammys, and has been doing for like, he's like the Grammys guy, you know?
01:10 And it's for a good reason.
01:11 He just, I think, strikes the perfect balance of like being funny, but like in such a celebratory
01:17 kind of way that's like, hey, we're here to have a good time, we're here to have a party,
01:21 we're not here to like try to offend anyone and try to make the most offensive joke that
01:25 we possibly can.
01:26 It's like, no, it's a good time.
01:29 Let's just have a good time.
01:30 It's not that hard, you know?
01:31 That was his advice.
01:33 James Corden actually gave me a great piece of advice, which is, which is if you're getting
01:39 in your ear that you need to kill time, don't do it.
01:42 Yeah, he's like, he's like, the show will find a way, but don't, you know?
01:49 Because he was like, the people at home don't know that you're trying to fill time.
01:53 All they'll see is you like scrambling and trying to talk, and then they're like, why
01:56 is he doing that?
01:57 If we have technical difficulties, I still want to, I want the show's producers to know
02:01 that we're going to help each other out.
02:03 In addition to hosting, you're also nominated this year for your role in Barbie.
02:07 What has just all the fan support and success of the movie meant to you?
02:12 It's meant a great deal, mostly just for the fact that I get to play a small witness into
02:16 all this stuff that's happening.
02:18 I mean, I have no expectation of winning in any capacity.
02:21 I just really love the recognition that, you know, that Margot and that Ryan and Greta
02:26 and America and everyone involved with this, with this incredible film are getting.
02:32 Now since you're hosting the People's Choice Awards, I want to play a little game called
02:36 The Choice is Yours.
02:37 Oh man.
02:38 I'm going to name two things.
02:39 No.
02:40 You're going to choose one.
02:42 Why would you do this to me?
02:43 Tell me why.
02:44 It's going to be fun.
02:45 I think you might like it.
02:46 Okay.
02:47 I'm going to name two DCA nominees.
02:48 Okay.
02:49 Fair enough.
02:50 First one.
02:51 Hi Barbie or Hi Ken.
02:52 Hi Barbie.
02:53 Hi Barbie.
02:54 Definitely.
02:55 Can you imagine if I said Hi Ken?
02:56 I mean, you are Ken, but you say Hi Barbie.
02:59 I do.
03:00 Yeah, we do.
03:01 Because we do.
03:02 Ultimately, all we care about is the approval of the Barbies.
03:04 Five nights at Freddy's or five nights at the Heiress Tour?
03:08 Five nights at the Heiress Tour.
03:10 Exactly.
03:11 You know.
03:12 We know.
03:13 I do know.
03:14 We know this.
03:15 Have you been more than once or just once?
03:16 I've been more than once.
03:17 I've been five times.
03:18 Five nights at the Heiress Tour.
03:19 Five nights at the Heiress Tour.
03:20 Yeah, it's kind of perfect.
03:21 I feel like you'll make it there again.
03:23 Definitely.
03:24 Definitely.
03:25 Especially because on the second leg, she's going to Canada.
03:26 I know it was something that we really petitioned hard for.
03:29 I don't know if Justin Trudeau and I were the reason why she decided to do it.
03:35 No, obviously not.
03:37 But she's playing shows in Toronto, which is my neck of the woods.
03:41 So I feel like I've got to go and support.
03:44 Scandaval or Barbenheimer?
03:46 I mean, just Barbenheimer, right?
03:50 Biggest cinematic event of ever.
03:53 The Bear or Cocaine Bear?
03:57 The Bear.
03:58 The Bear.
03:59 Incredible show.
04:00 Calvin Klein model star.
04:01 I feel like you'd be a great Calvin Klein model.
04:04 I mean, you are a superhero.
04:06 Do we pitch this?
04:08 You can pitch it if you want.
04:10 I mean...
04:11 (upbeat music)
04:13 you