While Zuko, one of the most beloved characters from the fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender, has been voiced by actor Dante Basco in the animated series, the character has been portrayed by American actor Dallas Liu in the live-action adaptation. It debuted on Netflix not so long ago and has been the talk of the town since then.
Although Avatar: The Last Airbender has not necessarily been received well by fans and critics, the people involved with the making of the series have done their best to bring the beloved series to life. Dallas Liu revealed his biggest fear from fans while portraying the character of Zuko.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Actor Dallas Liu Revealed His Biggest Fear from Fans
Avatar: The Last Airbender follows Aang (Gordon Cormier), the last living Airbender, on his quest to master all four elements – water, earth, fire, and air. Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) accompany him on his journey. Aang is tasked with preventing the Fire Nation from conquering the world and is pursued by Zuko, the exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, who wants to regain his honor by capturing Aang.
Dallas Liu, who plays the character of Zuko in the live-action series, is a fan of the original animated series. This has enabled him to know his character inside out, as he revealed his greatest fear regarding this character.
In a recent interview with Indie Wire, Liu opened up about his experience of working on the series. Speaking of his biggest fear from the fans, Dallas Liu told the outlet:
“I really wanted to make sure that I wasn’t doing an impersonation of this character and that I was making him relatable. I would love for them to hate him, but deep down I would want them to be rooting for him.”
Liu did not mind taking the risk of having fans hate the character at the expense of making it similar to the one in the animated series and, hence, relatable.
Dante Basco Has Been Supportive of Dallas Liu’s Take on Zuko
In the interview with Indie Wire, Dallas Liu said that he had the chance to converse with Dante Basco several times before the debut of the series, and how Basco had been very supportive of the new take on Zuko. Liu told the outlet:
“He [Dante Basco] said ‘I’m handing you the torch,’ I was like, ‘Dude, you’re gonna make me cry!’ Because I love Zuko and like the fans and Dante and everyone who loves the character, I just want the best for his arc as a whole.”
While this might not seem like a big deal to many, those who are passionate about the series and its legacy will understand how much it must matter to an artist to be playing the character of their favorite series well.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is available for streaming on Netflix.
