Toph cast in “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Book 2; also gives teaser clip

Forbes

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While the majority of Team Avatar was assembled in the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, one key member was missing, Toph Beifong, who was introduced in the second season of the animated series, and instantly became a fan-favorite character.

Now, at Netflix Geeked Week, we know which actor landed the role after a wide open casting search. That would Miya Cech, a 17 year-old actress who has appeared in films like You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah and appeared in Beef as a young Amy, played by Ali Wong who won an Emmy for that role.

No, Miya Cech is not blind or visually impaired, even though the casting call did say that such actors were encouraged to submit. So, she has to learn elaborate earthbending choreography while playing a blind character, something that goes above and beyond the demands of the other members of the cast. Here’s what she said about training:

“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. 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.”

The report also says she’s working with a consultant who is blind and the goal is to “represent the blind community appropriately.” She also talks about her Chinese and Japanese heritage which she is proud to represent in the role in a fictional world that pays homage to Asian culture in its various nations.

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I mean, she’s a lot older than I think the character should be, but she’s also only 4’11 to where that can work and about what Toph’s height should be.

Book One is definitely the hardest to adapt since it is much more episodic than the following two seasons, and I think Book Two should be the easiest of the three to adapt. I’d just have Ozai instead relocate to Omashu for the season that Azula occasionally directly reports to, and then do a more outright adaptation of Season 2 from the Blind Bandit onwards.

Additionally they’re filming Seasons 2 and 3 back to back/simultaneously, so hopefully they get a better flow going this time around.

How I’d at least structure the season:

I) The Blind Bandit/The Avatar State (Zuko’s side although altered due to the time jump).
II) The Chase/Zuko Alone
III) Bitter Work (add in Azula training with Ozai in Omashu)
IV) The Library/The Desert
V) The Serpent’s Pass/The Drill/Appa’s Lost Days
VI) City of Walls and Secrets/Tales of Ba Sing Se/Appa’s Lost Days
VII) Lake Laogai/The Earth King
VIII) The Guru/Crossroads of Destiny