Avatar: The Last Airbender Star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Gushes Over Netflix's Casting
When it comes to live-action adaptations, Netflix is diving into the deep end with its projects. From The Witcher to Cowboy Bebop and beyond, the service is putting tons of money towards its adaptations. Now, Avatar: The Last Airbender is ready to tackle the medium once more, and one star is taking time to gush over Netflix's casting.
The comments come straight from Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, the actor cast as Uncle Iroh for Netflix's adaptation. The actor, who is up in Canada filming, filmed a short Q&A for fans. It was there the actor got emotional as points discussing the show's cast and its diversity.
"There's gonna be an incredible amount of heart, and fun, and excitement to this series and I think the fans are gonna love it, he fans and people who have never seen it before. I've got a really good feeling about this," Lee shared.
Continuing, the veteran actor shared a note about each lead in the show. Avatar: The Last Airbender will see Gordon Cormier play Aang while Dallas Liu takes on Zuko. As for Katara and Sokka, Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley will play the siblings. And if you ask Lee, the group is crushing on the set.
"Dallas Liu, playing Zuko, I am so looking forward to working with him. We had a rehearsal today and he just blew me away. Blew me away. Ian Ousley, who's playing Sokka, my God, he's gonna steal every scene he's in. He is so funny. He is so, just, for me, pitch-perfect for Sokka," Lee explained.
"The actress Kiawentiio, who plays Katara, she's a crafted actress. Gordon Cormier, who's playing Aang, is a revelation."
Since the cast was first announced, fans have been eager to agree with Lee's comments here. The diverse cast feels true to Avatar: The Last Airbender and certainly blows the show's last adaptation out of the water. In finishing his video, Lee shared how important diverse casting was to Netflix in pre-production, and he is seeing its impact on the set now.
"[It's] special, when you see a wall of faces that look like your own. It's amazing. It's amazing. And with something like [Avatar: The Last Airbender], you can't go any other way. You can't. And there's that deep consideration when it comes to casting. And everybody that's up on that wall, it's not just because of the color of their skin. They're all accomplished actors. It's incredible."
Right now, production on Avatar: The Last Airbender is ongoing in Canada. There is no word on when the live-action production will wrap or make its debut. But if Netflix needs time to do this right, fans are willing to wait as long as necessary.
What do you think about Lee's latest update on Avatar: The Last Airbender? Are you optimistic about this adaptation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.