Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most iconic animes of all time. The series has one of the most dedicated fandoms of all time and has managed to survive multiple bad adaptations that could not taint the love and memories they have tied with the series. Not only are fans attached to the story and the protagonists, but every single character has managed to resonate with at least one part of the viewer.
A perfect example of a beloved character is Uncle Iroh, whose wisdom has helped more than those who exist in that universe. One very iconic part of his character is a song that he sings called Leaves From The Vine. It is quite common for actors and voice actors to get asked to sing or say something that their characters say quite frequently.
However, the voice actor for Iroh refuses to sing this song, no matter how many times fans ask him to. The reason behind this is quite heartbreaking.
Uncle Iroh’s Voice Actor Refuses to Sing His Character’s Song From Avatar: The Last Airbender
Originally in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Uncle Iroh was voiced by Makoto “Mako” Iwamatsu. He portrayed the character to the best of his capabilities throughout the series run. Unfortunately, he did not get to finish the story with his character as right before the making of the final season was to begin, he passed away. This task was then taken by Greg Baldwin, who honored his predecessor at every step.
“It is by far the biggest request that I get and, to this day, I have not fulfilled it once. Because it’s not my song. “
During an interview with Avatar: Braving the Elements, Baldwin talked about one of the most iconic things that Iwamatsu did as Iroh; singing Leaves From The Vine.
The voice actor revealed that one of the most asked questions that he got from fans was if he could sing this song for them. While he found the question to be extremely heartwarming, he refused every single time.
Greg Baldwin Refuses To Walk Over Makoto Iwamatsu’s Memory
Greg Baldwin talked about why he refuses fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender so often, revealing there to be quite a beautiful reason behind it. He revealed that he thinks of Leaves From The Vine as a song that solely belongs to Makoto Iwamatsu. He refuses to sing it as a form of honor to the last voice actor, thanking him for all that he did, not only for his character but also for himself.
“It’s his song, and that’s a more noble way of putting it. It’s my way of saying, ‘thank you for what you’ve given me. I honor your life, I respect your legacy.’ But also, on a more mundane level, I’m not as good an actor as Mako. I can’t sing it as well, I didn’t want to sully peoples’ memory of that with me singing it.”
He then went on to add that there is another reason why he does not sing the song, regardless of how much fans try to persuade him. He does not think he sings as well as Iwamatsu and does not think singing it will bring anything positive to fans. He believes that fans have a very positive association with the song and he does not wish to ruin it.
