So far in live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, we’ve had: Water, Fire, Air… but one element and one important character have been conspicuously missing. Who is that, you might ask? Why, it’s Toph Beifong. Toph is the last official member of Team Avatar, or The Gaang, that still need to be introduced into Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. But everything has changed now that… Netflix has officially announced Toph’s casting for the live-action Avatar series. But just who is it that plays our favorite earthbender in Avatar: The Last Bender? It’s actress Miya Cech. Let’s dig into it.
Who Plays Toph Beifong on Netflix’s Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Netflix has officially revealed that Miya Cech plays Toph Beifong on live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. Here’s what Executive Producers Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani had to say about her casting as Toph.
We make a point of reviewing submissions separately and after countless tapes, we both had the same reaction … Miya is our Toph! Miya is a brilliant performer who knows how to precisely balance the sarcastic sense of humor, stubbornness, and vulnerability that is Toph Beifong. Her physicality and emotional dexterity really put her in a class of one.
It seems that although Netflix put out a special open casting call for Toph which noted “Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit,” Cech is not herself blind or low vision. However a release notes that “Cech will also work with a producer and consultant who is blind and a professional from the blindness community, to make sure the blindness community is represented appropriately.”
Meanwhile, Chech seeks to also represent the communities she is a part of. She notes of playing Toph in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, ““I personally am of Chinese and Japanese American descent and I’m so excited to represent my Chinese heritage in Toph Beifong… 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.”
Our First-Look at Live-Action Toph in ATLA
Toph’s great strength lies in her feet. She sees the world through them and kicks some serious butt with their powers. Honestly, this Avatar: The Last Airbender season two teaser of Toph stomping her Earthbending powers to life is point-perfect. It gets us seriously excited for what’s to come in the series. We can just hear Toph saying, “Hey Twinkle Toes,” to Aang. And we just can’t wait to see The Gaang complete. After Toph comes aboard in ATLA season two, we just need Zuko to get his act together, and we’ll be set. We hope the series gives us some more time with all five members as a full team. That’s the best part of Avatar, after all.
Why Is Everyone So Excited For Toph to Join Live-Action Avatar Season 2? Who Is Toph?
In a word, Toph is badass. We said it. Toph is a snarky, sassy, unafraid tank and she knows how to conquer the earth and dish it out with the best of them. We love Katara, Sokka, and Aang, (and Zuko, of course), but Toph adds a little something special. In the anime, Toph is the daughter of a rich Earthbending family, the Beifongs, who think she’s a fragile doll. But in secret, Toph spends her time taking down master Earthbenders in the fighting ring. She becomes Aang’s Earthbending master and though her style is not quite his, they come to understand each other on a deep level. Toph’s frenemies to friends relationship with Katara and her semi-flirtatious relationship with Sokka are also quite fun. Maybe live-action Toph will eventually get to take that field trip with Zuko that she never got to in the anime.
In any case, we’re so excited that Miya Cech has been cast as Toph in live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, and we can’t wait to see where the story will go.
Netflix’s Avatar The Last Airbender Also Begins Production
In addition to this casting announcement, Netflix also revealed that Avatar: The Last Airbender season two is now in production.
Producers Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani notes of the start of live-action ATLA season two’s production, “We’re looking forward to working with all of our actors again and digging into the deeper, more complicated relationships that develop as their journey continues in Season 2. We are going to show the real-world versions of iconic scenes from the original, and explore some of the stories that the animation didn’t. Mainly — we’re looking forward to seeing our gang all together again… We’re going to challenge our characters with more complex and nuanced obstacles as they navigate a more tactile world. Just as the animated series matured and progressed, the live-action will also take these characters and worlds and grow them.”
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season one is now streaming on Netflix.