In a recent interview with The Wayne Ayers podcast, Maria Zhang, who portrays Suki in Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ confessed that she had never heard of the franchise before her audition.
Discussing her experience joining the cast of one of the most anticipated series of the year, Zhang revealed that she wasn’t actually familiar with the ‘Avatar’ franchise. Saying it might be because she grew up in China, the actress admitted:
“I actually haven’t seen the show prior to the auditions since I grew up in China as I’ve never heard of it, but I remember watching it to prep for the audition and figuring out that I’m Suki because I just [went,] ‘Oh, that must be her.'”
Zhang also recalled the following about her audition and the time she realized she’ll play Suki:
“It was just an audition like any other. I got sent the email, and it was under a code name, of course, super secretive. And, I did figure out that it was Suki because the sides even though they weren’t actually from the show. They’re like dummy sides, as they call it, should they leave one line that was very specific to Suki.”
You can watch the rest of the interview below.
Fans Still Love Zhang and Her Suki
Despite Zhang’s lack of familiarity with the original animated series, her portrayal of Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, received widespread acclaim from viewers and critics. Fans of the show showed their support for Zhang by leaving positive comments below the YouTube video and expressing admiration for her work. One of them wrote:
“She did surprisingly well, considering this is her first major on-screen role.”
Another said:
“Perfect casting for Suki! I loved Suki as a kid watching the anime; she killed it for the live-action!”
As it appears, Zhang managed to become a fan favorite despite appearing in only one episode.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Wasn’t Without Its Controversies
The live-action adaptation of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ debuted on Netflix on February 22, 2024, to mixed reactions.
While the show was criticized for some of its creative liberties, especially regarding the early and expanded role of Fire Lord Ozai and changes to Sokka’s character, it still topped the Netflix global chart in its first week, with over 154 million hours watched.
Daniel Dae Kim, who portrays Fire Lord Ozai in the series, and Ian Ousley, the actor behind Sokka, publicly supported the creative decisions and changes made in the live-action adaptation. Kim said these adjustments are important for character development and narrative depth, while Ousley reassured fans that the spirit of Sokka remains despite modern updates.
