Dallas Liu on transforming into Avatar: The Last Airbender's Prince Zuko

Ask any fan of the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender which character has the best arc across the original show’s three seasons, and the answer will almost always be Prince Zuko. Dallas Liu (Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Pen15) was one such fan, even before he was offered the role of Zuko in Netflix’s live-action adaptation, which premieres February 22. The new series tackles only the beginning of his arc, so we won’t spoil it here, but be prepared for a fascinating journey with Liu’s performance.

Set in a world divided into four nations representing the four elements, Avatar: The Last Airbender centers on a chosen one known as the Avatar, a living symbol of peace and harmony who can “bend” all the elements to their will. The series begins with the reemergence of the Avatar, a boy named Aang (Gordon Cormier), from the frozen ice where he’s been trapped for a hundred years. He’s discovered by a pair of siblings from the Southern Water Tribe (Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley) and pursued by Prince Zuko, the exiled heir to the throne of the warmongering Fire Nation. Zuko believes that capturing the Avatar will bring him honor in the eyes of his father.

The A.V. Club spoke to Liu about the responsibility of taking on the iconic character, what fans can expect from the new series, and what the show means to him as a fan himself.

Dallas Liu: I’m just so glad that we’re finally able to get it out. It’s been a long time coming. And, you know, it was the first time I had been able to be a lead in such a big series, and it’s such a huge IP as well. I know there are so many beloved fans. So I’m just happy.

AVC: Do you feel a lot of responsibility taking on a fan-favorite character like Zuko?

DL: Absolutely, absolutely. I am also a huge Zuko fan. He was always my favorite character, watching the show growing up as well. So as much as I wanted to make sure that I was doing a good job as a fan myself, in this live adaptation, I wanted to make sure that I was also giving the fans something that they could look forward to.

AVC: What was it that drew you to Avatar as a viewer, before you ever knew you’d be a part of it?

DL: Well, when I was a kid, I always thought bending was the coolest part. That got me interested because I had been doing martial arts since I was five years old. So that was one show where I was just so entertained. Naturally, I really gravitated towards the show. But once I got older and I started paying attention to the dialog, the plot, and each character’s arc, I was like, this is a damn good show.

AVC: How did it feel when you found out you got the part?

DL: Coming into the project loving Zuko and finding out in my audition that this is the role, I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is a dream come true.” It was. It was during Covid and all the auditions were over Zoom or self tapes. So I was feeling a bit discouraged, and I wanted to take a break because I was getting so, so close to booking this role. I was like, “I don’t know if my heart can take this.”

AVC: As you probably know, people were watching the casting of this show with interest because so many fans wanted to see authentic Asian actors in the roles that were played by white voice actors in the animated series. Was that effort to be more representational important to you?

DL: I feel so lucky that I’m able to be a part of the representation of all the different communities involved in the series. Dante Basco has been someone that I’ve been able to talk to and have conversations with about the character. But I genuinely feel lucky because all of these people of color are extremely talented. We’re not lacking any of that. Even behind the scenes, we’ve got tons of people of color as well. I’m just really glad to be a part of the journey more than anything.

AVC: What are you most excited for fans to see in the show?

DL: Well, there’s a few things. I’m trying to decide which one. I can’t wait for people to see Zuko and Iroh’s (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) relationship in the series. Obviously, Uncle Iroh is a huge part of Zuko’s character, and I think almost all of our scenes are together, so you start to love the two of them together. And Uncle Iroh is such a comfort character.

AVC: He’s always been my favorite. And Paul Sun-Hyung Lee seems like a great casting choice. What was it like working with Paul?

DL: He’s so funny in real life and as the character in between takes. He just whispers something under his breath. He’ll get a little joke in there. And then we’re in this very intense, frantic scene. and I’m just trying to pull myself together. He’s so good with his tea jokes. The advice that he gives Zuko is also amazing. But typical Zuko, he’s just going to ignore it and keep on moving.

AVC: From the trailer and everything we’ve seen so far, it looks as though the first season is going to stay pretty faithful to the animated series, but is there anything in it that might surprise fans?

DL: I think there’s a good amount, yeah. It’s good because while we are staying faithful to the original we have to give our show its own identity. Otherwise, what’s the point of making it, right? Albert Kim, our showrunner, and the writers of our show did an amazing job keeping the core elements of the animated series and giving it its own identity.

AVC: The show is a bit of a balancing act, isn’t it? You have to please the existing fan base, but also introduce new viewers to this world. And like the original, it’s meant to appeal to both kids and adults.

DL: Yeah. You want all of the fans of the animated series who are coming to watch our show to be able to reminisce and spot our own little Easter eggs in there while we also want to tell a story for the new fans who are watching our show.

AVC: Can you share any of those Easter eggs without spoiling too much?

DL: We have the actual voice actor for the cabbage merchant playing the cabbage merchant in our series. So if you’re wondering if we’re going to get the cabbage merchant in there? Yes, he’s absolutely in it.

AVC: That’s such a great running gag in the animated series. “My cabbages!” I’m so glad they included that. That’s all I wanted to know.

DL: Iconic! It’s iconic. It was actually so nice to meet him and see how supportive of our series he was, as well.

AVC: How strenuous was filming for you? Did you have any tough fight scenes or difficult night shoots?

DL: I would say it wasn’t difficult, except in the sense that it was tiring for me as a person. I put so much focus into making sure that I was giving Zuko a proper adaptation. I really did a lot of research into his backstory, of course, and I also wanted to hear what other people had to say that were working outside of our show. So, character breakdowns on YouTube, for example, and fan theories on the internet. I definitely indulged myself in all of those things. So by the time I got on set, I felt prepared. I felt ready, and I would say the beginning is always the most difficult, because you’re still finding your footing as the character, and how you want to portray them.

AVC: There’s some pretty involved hair and makeup for Zuko too, right?

DL: Oh, yeah. I mean, it’s season-one, book-one Zuko. You know, classic.

AVC: Did you and the rest of the cast keep in touch after you finished filming?

DL: Oh yeah, absolutely. Me, Gordon, Kiawentiio, and Ian, we’re such a close family. Me and Ian are both based in Los Angeles, so we hang out a few times a week, still to this day. Gordon lives near Toronto, but whenever we can meet up it’s like nothing has changed, which is all that you can really ask for.

AVC: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about the show?

DL: What I’d like to say is that there’s a lot of negativity surrounding live adaptations in general, but I think if people come into this show excited [about it], they’ll get a good result out of watching our show. And I’ll say you’ve got to watch it until the very end because the beginning is good, but when you get to those last few episodes, that’s when it starts really getting good.