Poppy Liu, an actress originally from China who moved to Minnesota at the age of two, expressed to a reporter her belief that “capitalism is the greatest evil in the world,” despite her success in the U.S. acting scene.
Liu, recognized for her role as blackjack dealer Kiki on HBO’s hack, was questioned by a reporter from the women’s advocacy site Refinery 29 about her frustrations with capitalism. She did not hold back.
Her comments came during the premiere of her latest film, i love booster, directed by activist filmmaker Boots Riley. The movie portrays a group of shoplifters known as the Boosters, who pilfer items from high-end fashion designers and sell them at reduced prices in a practice they term “fashion-focused philanthropy.”
The animated Liu shared her thoughts at a rapid pace.
“Oh my god, where do I even begin?” she chuckled. “Capitalism is an evil system that keeps us all stuck in a hamster wheel that most of us just can’t get out of.”
“The currency is made up,” she continued. “Credit is manipulated. Debt is invented. What’s with student loans?”
“My point is, capitalism is the greatest evil in the world,” she wrapped up. “People might say, ‘Oh, but you’re experiencing the good things, etc.’ Sure, that’s true, but if it means that more people can live free from oppression globally, then I’m completely for that. ‘Hello!’
Liu, who embraced Islam in 2024 and advocates for abortion rights, studied women’s studies and theater at Colgate University.
She established Collective Sex, a production company that emphasizes projects about gender identity, and debuted her short film Collective Sex in 2018. This work is partially autobiographical, drawing from her own abortion experience.
In addition to her notable role in hack, Liu has appeared in other productions such as His & Hers, No Good Deed, The Afterparty, Dead Ringers, Icarly, and Better Call Saul.
At the i love booster premiere, other actors similarly voiced their anti-capitalist sentiments during conversations with Refinery29.
