Simu Liu Joined Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' Movie After His Agent Said He Would Stake His Career on It

Simu Liu is living in a very Barbie world.

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor, 33, will act in Greta Gerwig's highly-anticipated Barbie film, set to premiere on July 21, 2023.

According to Liu, one rave review made the difference when it came to his decision to join the cast.

Liu told British GQ that he chose to pursue the role after, on a routine call with his team, one agent mentioned Barbie and described it as one of the best scripts he'd ever read.

"He literally said this verbatim," Liu told the outlet. "He was like, 'If I could stake my career on any one script, it's the Barbie script. I really think you should do it.'"

The movie, Gerwig's first since 2019's Little Women, stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, with Ryan Gosling stepping in to play Ken. America Ferrera also stars.

Liu also revealed the one skill that he feels pushed him over the edge when he auditioned in person for Gerwig: his time on a competitive hip-hop dance team in college.

"Greta was talking about how much she loved watching men dance, because it's such an expression of artistry you're not used to seeing from typical men," Liu remembers of the moment he told her about his past experience.

"She audibly guffawed, she giggle-screamed – and then I got the part," he concluded.

RELATED VIDEO: How Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Went from Unemployed Accountant to Marvel's First Asian Superhero

Liu's last tip for landing a coveted role in Gerwig's latest film? Just be nice and work hard.

"If you're an a--hole on a Greta Gerwig set, there's no hope for you," Liu explained.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Liu happily recalled the feeling of, after an especially strong take, hearing Gerwig's laugh coming from the video monitor.

"It's the best feeling in the world," he gushed.