Netflix’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender was filled to the brim with references, Easter eggs, and mashed-up storylines. But what it was missing was our favourite Earthbender of all time: Toph.
On Thursday, Netflix revealed the much-anticipated addition to the cast: the fourth member of Team Avatar, who’ll be played by Miya Cech. As Toph is blind — you can see in the teaser, Toph’s feet are essential to her sensory power while Earthbending — Netflix said Cech is working with a producer/consultant who is blind, as well as “a professional from the blindness community”. And apparently she’s already in training for the stuntwork.
“I’ve been in boot camp for about a week and a half now and still have a lot of work to do, but it’s super fun,” Cech said in a press statement, also published on Netflix’s blog Tudum. “I have some martial arts experience. I have a great instructor who I take private classes with back home in Northern California, and he keeps me in shape when I’m not working. I also have some dance experience from when I was younger that has been very helpful as I learn about Toph’s movements.”
“I personally am of Chinese and Japanese American descent and I’m so excited to represent my Chinese heritage in Toph Beifong,” Cech added. “One of the most incredible aspects of this show is the diversity of the Asian cultures in the ATLA world. Even though the universe is fantasy, it feels like every culture is represented in some way and tied to the history and traditions of that culture or country. Just a few years ago, you might have seen one or two of these actors in a show or movie, but on this show we are all able to represent this world together and work together and collaborate. It’s really amazing and a gift as an actor.”
Executive producers Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani also confirmed the start of production on Season 2, with release dates TBC.
