We are thrilled to learn that Netflix is turning the beloved animated television series of the same name (2005–2008) into a live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The announcement that actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee will be playing the adored character Uncle Iroh has also sparked a great deal of interest among fans who have been anxiously awaiting further updates. While many are delighted that Lee is playing the role, others may be confused about why he looks so familiar.
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, a Canadian actor of Korean descent, gained popularity for his role as Mr. Sang-il Kim (‘Appa’) in the hit television series Kim’s Convenience. The CBC’s Canadian TV sitcom, which aired between 2016 and 2021, is centered on the lives of a Korean-Canadian family who own a convenience store in Toronto.
Lee’s portrayal of ‘Appa’ was widely praised by critics and earned him several nominations and awards, including the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Let us learn more about him.
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is a Beloved Canadian Sitcom Star
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has a long list of television appearances and film credits in addition to his beloved and award-winning role in the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience. His acting career has gone from hardship to incredible success in a little over ten years. His starring role as Kim’s Convenience’s Appa on CBC led to another acclaimed role on Disney+’s Star Wars’ The Mandalorian, as Captain Carson Teva.
In 2022, he again reprised the role in The Book of Boba Fett’s episode titled Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian.
The Korean-born Canadian actor, 51, was interviewed by forcesofgeek.com about how well Jon Favreau and his team executed the Star Wars mark in The Mandalorian:
“They get it the tone right on that show. It feels like Star Wars, great storytelling – it’s exploring a different path. It’s in-universe, but it’s a fresh story and I really appreciate that. I love the twists and the motifs that made the original Star Wars that made it so appealing. The lone samurai, the ‘spaghetti-westerns’—I love the level of detail that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have brought. They’re fans—you can tell and they’re doing their best to get it right.”
Additionally, Lee made an appearance in the 2022 revival of The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian sketch comedy TV series. This year, he returned as Carson Teva in the episodes The Return and The Pirate of The Mandalorian‘s third season. Moreover, he portrays Captain Carson Teva in Disney+’s Star Wars: Ahsoka.
In addition, Lee has shown off his acting versatility in films like Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess, and RoboCop. Next, he is slated to play Uncle Iroh in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Gets a New Live-Action Look on Netflix
Netflix has released the trailer for the live-action 2024 adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. As viewers can recall, it centers on four nations that formerly coexisted peacefully and were each ruled by a different element: air, fire, water, and earth. After the Fire Nation attacks, everyone looks to Aang (Gordon Cormier), an avatar with elemental control, to bring peace back to the land.
In a previous statement on Netflix regarding the adaptation of the beloved animated series, showrunner, executive producer, and writer Albert Kim said of Avatar: The Last Airbender:
“A live-action version can not only faithfully translate what had been done in animation — it can bring a rich new visual dimension to a fantastic world. We’ll be able to see bending in a real and visceral way we’ve never seen before.”
The lead character Aang in the series is played by Gordon Cormier, who is joined by Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, Kiawentiio as Katara, and Ian Ousley as Sokka. General Iroh is portrayed by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, while Daniel Dae Kim is playing Fire Lord Ozai.
The eight-episode series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, is slated to debut on Netflix on February 22, 2024.
