Think you’re an Avatar mega-fan? Think again. Gordon Cormier, the actor who brings Aang to life in the Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, has you beat.
During a recent interview, 12DOVE asked the cast who counts themselves as the original show’s biggest fan – and opinion was split.
"I think it’s Kiawentiio," Sokka actor Ian Ousley says, referring to the actor portraying Katara. "[She] grew up on it. She has the knowledge."
Dallas Liu, who plays Prince Zuko, counters, "I think the 26 times watching Avatar gives it to Gordon."
Yes, you read that right: the Aang actor has done his homework, watching the original Nickelodeon series 26 times in preparation for his role.
Cormier isn’t the only one who has a history, recent or otherwise, with the cartoon – which ran for three seasons from 2005 to 2008.
Lizzy Yu, who plays Azula, revealed that she watched reruns growing up and later did more research before her audition.
"I was a little bit on the younger side when it was coming out on Nickelodeon, but I definitely watched a lot of reruns and saw this new art style that I'd never seen before growing up, and felt very connected to it," Yu explains.
"So, when I found out what we were auditioning for, I binge watched the show multiple times to be like, ‘OK, now that I know [about the audition], I’m going to try and know as much as I can [about Avatar].’ Which was also special because, now that I’m an adult, I think the original show is really great because you’re able to take lessons from it at any point in your life."
Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming on Netflix from February 22. For more, check out the best anime on Netflix.
