Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Recalls Dressing Up as Spider-Man for Kids' Birthday Parties in SNL Debut

Simu Liu has made his Saturday Night Live debut!

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star, 32, hosted this week's episode of the sketch comedy show for the first time with musical guest Saweetie.

In his opening monologue, Liu shared gratitude for his successful year as he recalled how he landed his breakout role in the Marvel blockbuster.

"Back in 2014, and this is a true story, I tweeted, 'Hey, Marvel, great job with Captain America and Thor. Now, how about an Asian superhero?' And at the time, I think the tweet got like 10 likes, which was like 10 more than I usually got," he joked.

"But I worked hard and five years later, Marvel did make their first Asian superhero movie, and after I got the part, I went online and tweeted, 'Thanks for getting back to me.'"

Saturday Night Live/YouTube

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The actor also reflected on his past gig dressing up for children's parties as another popular superhero: Spider-Man!

"I really can't believe my life right now because 10 years ago I actually had a job dressing up as Spider-Man for kids' birthday parties, which meant parents would pay me to entertain their kids while they were day drinking," Liu explained.

"I'll never forget this one birthday boy's name was Trevor, and I don't want to say anything bad about him, but let's just say he was a real Trevor," he continued. "He kept kicking my shins and screaming, 'You're not Spider-Man! You're not Spider-Man!' And look, I don't know if you've ever been kicked by a 7-year-old wearing a $30 Walmart Spider-Man suit, but it will break you. It will break your spirit."

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He added: "But it also lit a fire under me. And I don't know where he is now, but Trevor, if you're watching, I just want to say, you were right. I'm not Spider-Man. I'm Shang-Chi, bitch!"

Ahead of the hosting gig, Liu shared a photo of himself at a table read with the SNL cast and crew. "JUST SMILE TO HIDE THE CRIPPLING ANXIETY OF KNOWING YOU'RE GONNA HOST SNL IN THREE DAYS," he captioned the photo.

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The Chinese-Canadian actor has been having a busy year after making his big screen debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — Marvel's first film with an Asian lead and predominantly Asian cast.

"I'm excited, and I think for all of the good and the bad of what's to come, it's definitely a journey that I feel very privileged to be going on," he told PEOPLE in May.

"I know how much it would've meant to kids, and to myself as a kid, seeing this when I was younger. I totally understand the importance of it," Liu added. "I know that it's not going to be easy, but at the same time, I feel so incredibly excited to be a part of this movement that gets to push society forward."

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.