It’s been two days since the official release of the live-action adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender streaming on Netflix. While many have already binged the series in its entirety, myself included, this weekend will see the majority of eager fans glued to their screens in some form or another. For those who’ve already seen a few episodes of the show, you may have noticed a fair number of familiar faces cast in prominent roles in the various episodes. As such, you may be left with the question: “Why Does the Cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender Look So Familiar?”
As the dust starts to settle on the consensus, the feelings are relatively mixed between journalists and the audience – if the social media trends are to be believed. However, scores on Rotten Tomatoes paint a slightly different picture, with journalists having sub-part feelings about the new series. In contrast, fans have a more favourable overview, scoring a reasonable 75% score.
The leading trio in Team Avatar are relatively new. Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), and Sokka (Ian Ousley) were relatively inexperienced before landing their respective roles, with each having only a handful of minor roles in a few TV series. However, some established cast members have been around for decades, starring in TV shows and movies.
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee – Uncle Iroh
Probably the strongest actor in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is most well-known for his role in Kim’s Convenience as Mr. Kim, or Appa (no, not that Appa). Playing the head of a Korean-Canadian family who runs a convenience store, Lee excelled as a stubborn old man, often ignorant of modern Western norms, resulting in humorous arguments between himself and his daughter and wife.
Although this is where he made his breakthrough as a recognizable actor, Disney cast him in the Star Wars franchise as Captain Carson Teva, who makes several recurring appearances in The Mandalorian and then Ahsoka shortly after.
Daniel Dae Kim – Fire Lord Ozai
Daniel Dae Kim is probably the most recognizable actor of the Avatar: The Last Airbender cast. His introduction as Fire Lord Ozai may be argued as premature in the series compared to the animated series, but his presence has been epic, nonetheless.
Although most will know him from prominent Hollywood roles, he’s also made a name for himself as a director and producer in recent years. However, his two most famous roles came from Lost as Jin Soo Kwon – his breakthrough role – and as Chin Ho Kelly on Hawaii Five-0, with seven lengthy seasons under his belt. These two roles lead to numerous awards for Kim and twice being named one of the “People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive.”
On a more exciting note, Kim is no stranger to the Avatar franchise, lending his voice to previous characters such as General Fong in the original ATLA series and again in the Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth game. A few years later, he returned as Hiroshi Sato in The Legend of Korra in seven episodes.
Ken Leung – Commander Zhao
Although not as illustrious as Daniel Dae Kim in Hollywood, he started his career in theatre almost three decades ago. Having a relatively quiet list of roles, he has voiced characters in several animated series in recent months, including Pantheon (Bai Fu), Strange Planet (Bartender) and even Velma (Darren) – although the less we speak of this, the better.
Leung has been around for years, with recurring roles in Industry, The Blacklist, alongside Kim in Lost, and even dabbling in the MCU as Karnak in Inhumans. However, one of his most notable and early roles was as Sang in the first Rush Hour film back in 1998. He played the blonde-aired secondary antagonist as a vicious gangster who kidnaps Soo-Yung to ransom her for $70 million Consul Han. While he was very recognizable after the role of Sang, he went relatively quiet for the six or seven years following the success of the action-comedy alongside Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
Amber Midthunder – Princess Yue
Although she may be a relatively new name among fans, Amber Midthunder has been acting for over two decades since she was five. Her parents are also in show business, with her dad as an actor and her mom as a casting director. Her first speaking role at age 9 came a few years after appearing on screen for the first time, alongside Oscar winner Alan Arkin in the indie film Sunshine Cleaning.
Her most notable role, however, is as Naru in Prey, the pre-sequel for the Predator franchise. Starring in the leading role, Naru is a young warrior of the Comanche Nation, looking to showcase her skills on the battlefield to protect her tribe against one of the first Predators to land on Earth. Despite being a straight-to-stream film, it received praise for reigniting the Predator franchise, which had grown relatively stale in recent years.
Midthunder is also an enrolled tribal member at Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
Danny Pudi – The Mechanist
Unlike many of the other cast, whose appearances may require a double-take to recognise, Danny Pudi is easily noticeable as The Mechanist. Making his breakthrough as Abed in Community, Pudi is a much-loved personality among fans. Since the series ended, he has starred in Mythic Quest and Powerless, as well as being a voice actor in DuckTales, Strange Planet, Harvey Girls Forever! and Transformers: Earthspark.
Other Important Avatar: The Last Airbender Cast Members
While an extensive list of actors and actresses appears on Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, you could spend hours reviewing the entire cast list. In addition to those mentioned above, there are several honourable mentions for stars who made brief appearances throughout the show’s eight episodes. This includes the following:
Utkarsh Ambudkar, known by his stage name UTK the INC, as King Bumi. Ambudkar is an actor, rapper and singer. His list of film roles includes Pitch Perfect, Blindspotting, Brittany Runs a Marathon, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Free Guy, and Tick, Tick… Boom!.
Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari, the leader of the Kyoshi Island. She plays the mom of the Kyoshi Warrior Suki. Her other notable roles include Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, voice of Lady Itoh in Blue Eye Samurai, Commodore Oh in Star Trek: Picard, as well as Kumiko in Cobra Kai.
Momona Tamada as Ty Lee. She appeared alongside Owen Wilson and Michael Peña in Secret Headquarters, as well as a recurring role in The Baby-Sitters Club.
RELATED: “The Movie Was Better” – What Else Are Fans Saying About Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender?
What are your thoughts on the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender?
