5 months ago
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Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is searching for an actor to play the beloved Earthbender, Toph.
The show, a live-action adaptation and remake of the much-loved 2005 Nickelodeon animated series, premiered on Netflix in February and was renewed for two more seasons less than a month later, after receiving relatively mixed reviews.
On Tuesday, casting director Jenny Jue posted on X a casting call for the role of Toph, who is described in the post as a character in her “mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian” (Toph was 12 years old when she was first introduced in the original animated series). According to the casting call, filming is expected to take place in fall 2024.
Teresa Huang, the show’s supervising producer, said in a post on X that she and the team “are determined … to find a young Asian actress who is actually blind or low vision.” She encouraged people who know someone with dance and/or martial arts experience to forward their information, even if they have never acted before.
Read More: How Avatar: The Last Airbender Is a Love Letter to Asian and Indigenous Cultures
One user on X responded to Huang’s post, introducing herself as an administrator of the Disabled Voice Actors Database, a directory of working voice actors who have disabilities. She offered to share the database with Huang, who replied by asking her to send the information to Jue.
Fans were excited by the news, with many praising the show for its authentic and inclusive casting efforts.
“This is so exciting!” one user said, in a reply to Huang’s post on X. “As a visually impaired person I am so happy to see the commitment to authentic casting holding strong. I can’t wait to see who will portray her in the series.”
“This will bring me around to watching the show for real,” another user said in a reply to Huang’s post on X. “I appreciate your efforts.”
Anyone who is interested in being considered for the role should email DTCOpenCall@gmail.com with a recent photo, resume or one-paragraph bio, as well as their name and phone number, the casting call said. Applicants are also encouraged to share any experiences they may have with blindness or low vision, if they feel comfortable doing so.
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