The central hook of “The Copenhagen Test” is enough to make anyone uneasy about their own screen time. Imagine a world in which your eyes and ears have been turned into cameras and microphones for an unknown enemy. That is the nightmare facing Alexander Hale, played with brooding intellectual intensity by Simu Liu. A first-generation Chinese American intelligence analyst who discovers his brain has been hacked, Hale is forced into a high-concept game of espionage that feels distinctly of the moment. The series demands that its lead sustain a performance at all times, knowing that a single lapse could prove fatal.
While Liu anchors the series, “The Copenhagen Test” succeeds equally because of its diverse ensemble. Melissa Barrera brings a fierce unpredictability to Michelle, a character whose true motives remain elusive throughout the season. Sinclair Daniel is a standout as Parker, the tech-savvy “girl in the chair” who defies the usual tropes of that role through sharp wit and emotional grounding. The supporting cast, including Brian d’Arcy James, Mark O’Brien, and Kathleen Chalfant, ensures that the institutional and procedural elements carry as much dramatic weight as the action itself.
The series’ arrival on Peacock also marks a significant moment for representation within the thriller genre. Just last summer, another Asian-led spy series, “Butterfly” starring Daniel Dae Kim, debuted on Amazon Prime. Despite strong performances and critical interest, it failed to secure a renewal. That context makes the success of “The Copenhagen Test” feel especially consequential, underscoring the importance of broad audience support for stories led by Asian American characters.
Importantly, the series never allows its representational weight to overshadow its effectiveness as entertainment. Visually, the show maintains a sleek, contemporary aesthetic that complements the natural charisma of its cast. The chemistry between characters provides an emotional foundation for the romantic subplots, allowing them to feel organic rather than obligatory. The narrative also leans directly into the digital anxieties of 2026, using modern technology as a source of suspense while keeping the characters grounded in recognizable human behavior.
As an executive producer, Liu’s influence is evident in how the show approaches Alexander Hale’s background. Even the character’s name became a point of creative discussion. Rather than defaulting to a more traditional surname, the team decided that the Hale family had changed their name generations earlier as a means of assimilation. It is a choice that quietly mirrors the lived experiences of many immigrant families and transforms a surface detail into a meaningful narrative thread. As Liu explained, the team “found those reasons to be really narratively compelling,” allowing identity to emerge through story rather than exposition.
Simu Liu spoke with Awards Focus about what initially drew him to the project, the creative thinking behind Alexander Hale’s name, and the moment of panic he experienced just before the series premiered.
Awards Focus: You have a lot on your plate right now. You’re an Avenger, you’re doing voice work, and you’re carrying the torch for Asian American and Canadian actors. What drew you to “The Copenhagen Test” as both an actor and an executive producer?
Simu Liu: I think it was the opportunity to play a character who is the lead of his story and who also happens to be Asian American—not just in a cut-and-paste, bland, nonspecific way, but in a way that feels important to who he is. It informs a lot of his relationships and his lived experience working in intelligence. In a world where trust is everything, how does it feel to be part of an immigrant family? What questions does that raise about loyalty?
I think it speaks to how a lot of Asian Americans feel in America. You grow up in a place that should feel like home, but maybe sometimes doesn’t because of the way you’re treated or overlooked. It’s an extension of that age-old question we’ve all gotten: “Where are you really from?” It is not enough that we are just American or Canadian; the insinuation is that you can’t be from here because you don’t look like you’re from here.
AF: The name Alexander Hale doesn’t immediately read as an Asian American character. Did that name evolve once you joined the project, or was Alexander always intended to be a Chinese American immigrant?
Liu: Alexander was always intended to be non-white, but when I came aboard, it became something very particular. In our culture, it’s very rare to change our last names. We had two options: we could either change his last name to Alexander Han, or we make it part of the story and say the parents changed the name for some reason in the past.
Even though it’s not what I personally went through, we found those reasons to be really narratively compelling. I think it was actually my idea. I pitched it in the writers room that it would be cool if they changed their last name, and it stuck.
AF: I grew up with “The Joy Luck Club” as the first major Asian-cast film I ever saw. Your on-screen mother, Lauren Tom, was part of that legacy. What was it like working with her? Did she reflect on how the industry has or hasn’t changed?
Liu: I feel like there is so much that is unspoken anytime two Asians are on a Hollywood set together. So much is communicated in just a look or a glance—like, “you know what I mean?” and “I know what you mean.” That’s really all we have to say.
I’ve worked with Lauren before, and she knows how much I adore her and respect her body of work. We talk about “The Joy Luck Club” a lot. We also talk about “Friends” and “Futurama” quite a bit. She’s just the best.
AF: Beyond yourself, the top three leads on the show come from diverse backgrounds, yet the show doesn’t feel performative about it. How important was that diversity in the initial stages?
Liu: It truly was accidental. I signed on because I loved the idea of Alexander Hale looking like me. Then, in the casting process, Melissa’s name just came up. We weren’t trying to hit a quota; everyone just unanimously leaned in because she was perfect.
Sinclair was the first person we cast. The casting process is daunting because you have to make this quantum leap from characters on a page to living, breathing human beings. Oftentimes, as producers, we don’t even know what we’re looking for until we see it. Sinclair was one of those collective moments where we breathed a sigh of relief. She brings such an undeniable presence to what could have been a cookie-cutter role of a “girl in the chair” in the control room. She really wields that role and makes it her own.
AF: You’ve spoken a lot about visibility and desirability. It’s meaningful to see an Asian man play a romantic lead. In “Shang-Chi,” the lead relationship was a bit more platonic. How much of that romantic element did you bring in as an executive producer?
Liu: It’s important because when you follow lead characters, you want to know what’s going on in their heads and their love lives. I was coming at it from a place of what was compelling for the story. As much as we talk about the politics of representation, you can’t bring an “agenda” into the creative process. I think an agenda becomes antithetical to creativity.
For the romance between Alexander and Michelle, it was important that it didn’t feel like two people with no chemistry pretending to fall in love. There has to be a part of it that feels like it could be real. That’s when the audience leans in. You want to wonder: “I know Michelle is playing a role, but how much is she actually feeling right now?” I wanted to motivate the storytelling rather than it just being a reductive idea of “I want to see Asian guys get laid.” That isn’t useful for the creative process, but showing two people who met under these circumstances where maybe something more could happen—that’s exciting.
AF: The show has been number one since it debuted. How are you feeling about that reception?
Liu: We are all just over the moon. I’ll admit I had a moment of panic before the show came out. It’s hard to debut something brand new. The last time I did something this big, I had the Marvel machine behind me. It felt very “loud” because the IP was already in the zeitgeist by default.
This felt different because it was so new. I was second-guessing myself every day as the clock ticked closer. I was like, “Oh my God, is no one going to watch this show?” I had many fits of panic and many conversations with my partner. To be on the other side of it now is so rewarding. Hearing that people connected to it, especially because we had zero fans going into it, is just incredible.
AF: Well, we need it renewed, so we’re all rooting for you. Congratulations.
Liu: Fingers crossed, man. Thank you so much.
See our partner podcast, United By Rice, for series review and full interview of Simu Liu below.