Look out Avatar fans! Netflix’s adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon series is back for a new season. That means new kingdoms to explore, new benders, bigger action, and new fan-favorites! Among those joining the cast is standout actress Amanda Zhou! And we were able to sit with her for a terrific discussion about what to expect about her joining Aang and the ATLA crew for a brand new adventure!
Zhou has established herself to be a scene stealer in many fan favorite series like Netflix’s Spinning Out and Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. For the latest season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, she’s going to be taking on the haunting, iconic role of Joo Dee — an overly cheerful guide from the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se, hiding some dark secrets from Aang and the gang.
To dive further into how she brought Joo Dee to life, Zhou had this to say:
NOC: Hi Amanda! What’s it like to be in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and to play in this sandbox with such rich mythology?
It’s unreal! One of my favorite things, other than the makeup and costume details, was the Lower Market set in Ba Sing Se. The details of the cobblestones, the metal kettles sitting over coals and fire, and the mini rows of curved rooftops were incredible. The thing that really painted a picture for me was the stool outside the front door. Since the village houses were so close together, it made me think about how close each neighbor was and how much of a community it must have been back then. It felt as if the front of your house became this communal front porch connecting you to the neighbors beside and across from you.
You see it in the animated series, and you learn about the historical housing that inspired it, but it’s another thing entirely to stand in a version of it. You begin to feel the weight and history of the world. Being there gave me a real appreciation for the people and communities that came before us and inspired so much of the world-building in Avatar. It really is an honor to be part of a story that so many people grew up with and truly love.
Now that you’re joining the cast, what can we expect from Joo Dee?
Expect a performance rooted in the mystery of Ba Sing Se. I wanted to capture her essence of being welcoming while hinting at the layers underneath that make Joo Dee such an interesting part of the story. We get to see just how much Joo Dee truly loves Ba Sing Se.
Were you a fan of the original series? And if so, when you got the call to be Joo Dee, what was that like for you?
Yes! I watched it before I even became an actor, so to be part of the live-action adaptation of this iconic series feels full circle. It’s rare to get the chance to work on something that holds such a special place in your own childhood memories.
This was my go-to show after school. I remember being obsessed with it because I always wished I had learned martial arts, and I always wished magic was real, so watching Avatar made that fantasy feel real for me in the moment. And of course, as a former figure skater, I was like, “Yeah, I can flip and kick my leg like that.” It was what Spider-Man was for many kids. But for me, it was Avatar: The Last Airbender.
What sort of prep work did you have to do to master the role of Joo Dee? Was there any inspiration or cues that you took from Lauren Tom’s vocal performance in the animated series?
Lauren Tom’s voice is legendary. She gave Joo Dee such an unsettling tone wrapped in cheerfulness. I looked to her performance for the rhythm of the character and how that tone could live within me. Once I found that placement, it helped shape Joo Dee’s mannerisms and the way she moved through the world. I wanted to honor who she is in the original series, but I also wanted to discover her through my own perspective and how I would be in Joo Dee’s situation. I wanted it to feel authentic so that every line and reaction could naturally follow because she would already be living within me.
What is the most challenging part of translating a character from animation to live action?
The challenge was finding the vulnerability in Joo Dee. Exploring it wasn’t difficult, but it was a challenge to swing that pendulum internally while still maintaining her composure. It’s one thing to say, “Okay, this character is sad. Let’s find where and why, and tell that story.” But it’s another thing to ask, “If Joo Dee is hurting, how does she hide it? And if she can’t, how much does she allow others to see?”
I’ve always felt that animation has an additional layer that allows you to get lost in the world so easily. Once that layer is removed, we enter the language of live-action film and television, where everything feels closer, more visceral, and more tangible. We’re no longer operating in a stylized world behind another veil. The characters are more exposed, and the choices become more grounded, allowing audiences to connect with them on a realistic level.
I can’t wait for everyone to watch the show and see what we’ve created.
We honestly couldn’t be more excited to see Zhou bring Joo Dee to life, and to see the adventure through the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender continue in Season 2, only on Netflix this Thursday!
