Gordon Cormier and Dallas Liu, the young actors from the highly-anticipated AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER series, landed in Manila for the press conference and premiere of the live-action adaptation. The duo received a warm Manila welcome as they spent a jam-packed day of activities with regional press and influencers from the country, as well as other delegates from the APAC region, to promote Netflix’s latest live-action offering.
During the press conference held at Marquis Events Place in BGC, Filipino-Canadian star Gordon had three words to describe the life-changing moment when he discovered that he booked the iconic role: ‘Tears. Crying. Happiness.’ Gordon, who plays Aang, expressed that he felt like he “grew” with his character and noted how easy it was for him to portray the more “happy” side of the young Avatar: “When we first shot the series, I was 11 years old, so I feel like I’ve grown up quite a bit. The happy side of Aang is quite easy for me because… you know. I think you could tell,” he added with a laugh, referring to his innate happy demeanor. “It was more difficult for me to tap into Aang’s emotional side.”
Speaking about their experiences in breathing new life into the adored characters, Dallas, who plays Prince Zuko, shared, “I really had to tap into the negativity of Prince Zuko and what he’s going through. There are different points in my life that I have to pull from specifically that I think worked well for specific scenes.” Dallas also mentioned that each cast member was able to “ground” their characters and bring them to life in a way that feels familiar: “I’m really excited for you guys to see it. I know you guys are stoked for it,” he added, alluding to the extensive fight scenes within the series.
Admitting that they bonded and got close while shooting the show, Dallas, the older of the two breakout stars, closes the press conference with advice and a wish for Gordon: “To have a strong base in your heart is extremely important. I hope the people supporting you at home keep your chin up and give you strong words of affirmation and continue to champion you through your journey.”
The press conference ended with a surprise reveal of a fun, special “Appa Air” promotional video of Melai Cantiveros that both the audience and the actors enjoyed.
Following the press conference, the duo headed to Central Square to check out the AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER activity zones at the cinema area, and made a surprise appearance during the fan screening to the delight of the lucky fans.
Nearly 300 media representatives and fans took part in the events prepared for this title. The talents witnessed firsthand the positive response of the crowd during the screening and engaged with thrilled onlookers around the venue.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER is now showing on Netflix. Available worldwide.
