Three years before his breakout role in the MCU, Simu Liu had a minor role inThe Expanse, which is his highest-rated series from his early work. Simu Liu’s career gained significant momentum with his leading role inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While his filmography isn’t as long as some of his MCU co-stars,Liu has notable creditsin other movies and TV shows. The actor has had a rather rapid journey to mainstream popularity, and Liu is now being widely recognized for several memorable roles, such as Ken in Greta Gerwig’sBarbie.
The series is based on a set of novels by James S.A. Corey, althoughThe Expanse’s future was uncertain for a while due to a temporary cancelation by SyFy after three seasons. AlthoughThe Expanseended with season 6, the show has maintained an incredibly dedicated fanbase, and numerous stars frequently appeared throughout the show’s impressive run.The Expansehas consistently boasted a strong cast, including many major stars from the outset. Liu was among these stars, appearing halfway through the show’s run, and he masterfully portrayed the character in his brief two-episode appearance.
Liu’s Role In Season 3 Of The Expanse Is Very Brief
Shang-Chipremiered in theaters in 2021, and was an immediate success, breaking the Labor Day weekend record at the box office. However, Liu’s career spanned various television series long before his role in the MCU.The actor’s role inThe Expansewas during season 3, in two singular episodes. One of these was during episode 10, “Dandelion Sky,” while the other appearance went uncredited. Liu portrayed the Lieutenant of the Martian Marine Corps, Paolo Mayer. In spite of this, his character was later killed after an unfortunate encounter with one ofThe Expanse’s regular characters, James Holden (Steven Strait.)
While he didn’t have a large part in the series, Liu’s role inThe Expanseremains the highest-rated television series of his early career. Of course, even a small role in a well-regarded series likeThe Expanseis an invaluable experience for an actor, and Liu did a superb job here. Liu’s character, Mayer, was a marine who was both compassionate and uncompromising, and Liu’s excellent performance skillfully balanced these contrasting traits. That being said, although his character was certainly necessary, Mayer was not all that important toThe Expanseseason 3’s ending.
Simu Liu Isn’t The Only Famous Face To Have A Small Role In The Expanse
The Expanse Secured Many Major Hollywood Stars Throughout Its Run
The Expansehas a rather peculiar history in the sense that the series was canceled after three seasons, although it was thoroughly enjoyed by its audiences. The series was then moved to Amazon Prime, and has since become a series of great scope that continues to receive outstanding reviews. One of the series' advantages is its strong ensemble cast, and, as a result,several well-known actors have had minor rolesorcameos inThe Expanse. These small roles leave a lasting impression, largely due to the talented actors portraying them.
All 6 The Expanse Actors Who Also Appeared In Star Trek
The TV show The Expanse and the Star Trek franchise both established incredible sci-fi worlds, so it’s no surprise that some actors starred in both.
Jonathan Banks ofBreaking Badis a prime example. The actor had a cameo that kicked off the series, where he played Canterbury’s first officer before he was replaced by Holden. Jay Hernandez was featured in a limited number of episodes, too, portraying Dmitri Havelock, who played a far larger role inThe Expansebooksthan in the series. Many fans felt Hernandez’s role was underwhelming, and the same can be said forChernobyl’s Jared Harris, who played Anderson Dawes. That being said, Dawes had a slightly larger role, appearing in 11 episodes across seasons 1 and 2 ofThe Expanse.
The Expanse
Cast
The Expanse is a sci-fi series set in the distant future where humanity has spread out across the solar system, but the alliances between the three most potent governing bodies have reached a state of the cold war. In the series, a mixed crew finds themselves at the center of a dangerous intergalactic conspiracy that threatens to bring war to the colonized worlds.
