A Richmond actor was pleasantly surprised during the filming of Avatar: The Last Airbender to see so many Asian cast members.
Osric Chau told the Richmond News this Netflix series was the first show he’s done where the majority of people were Asian.
“I’m usually the token Asian guy and it was really nice to just be in a show where everyone kind of was in the same place in terms of culture and understanding, and I really enjoyed that aspect,” he said.
“Seeing a lot of old friends on the stunt team and the actor side, it felt like a big homecoming since this was also a Vancouver show.”
The show was listed as the number one trending show on Netflix within the first week of release and Chau described it as a “vehicle to propel Asian-Canadian/American stories.”
He added it will hopefully provide more career opportunities and projects with more Asian voices in addition to showcasing the work of the Vancouver film industry.
Furthermore, it was Chau’s first time on set working alongside his brother Owen.
“It was the most exciting thing I was looking forward to while filming this series,” said Chau.
Chau played the character of Tan who helps lead a band of resistance members from the Fire Nation.
In comparison, Owen played a handful of characters in the show, doubled for other actors, and one major role as the “airbending instructor" at the beginning of the series.
“Being in the show with my brother was obviously very, very cool and for it to be Avatar, like, that’s the cherry on top,” said Osric.
In the past year, Chau, also an independent film director, coached Owen during his auditions for various roles including for this show.
The two brothers would rehearse Owen’s lines and how he should focus on emotions, Chau said.
“We really spent our time through the sessions because we really wanted to do it right, and he eventually got hired as an actor through the stunt team side.”
What made this audition and filming mean so much for the Chau brothers was that Avatar: The Last Airbender is the “best North American cartoon closest thing to Japanese Anime” and the closest to representing any form of Asian culture.
There was a previous live-action of the North American cartoon putting a lot of pressure on Chau and the entire cast and crew on set.
“There was a lot of pressure to do well and everyone knew how important it was that there was that gravitas on set,” said Chau.
Background and costume sets were “mind-blowing”
Actors getting themselves mentally into a scene is one thing, but for Chau, the set and costumes for the Netflix show were beyond his imagination.
“We shot on the largest volume stage that I’ve ever seen – it was just this massive thing,” he said, adding they were “transported into the ice world or in the temple” while being in a dome-like studio in Burnaby.
“It’s so cool to see and feel that environment and it makes acting easy because we don’t have to pretend like it's there. It’s almost like being on location but in the comfort of the stage.”
Aside from the set crew, Chau applauds the costume department for this TV series.
“They spend so much time trying to get everything to not only look right but to flow and fold right,” he said.
“I was just impressed about the costume department and just how detailed they went for the costumes for every character in the show.”
Working as a local creative
As a creative himself, Chau valued the chance to work and learn alongside prominent figures in the film industry including director Jabbar Raisani, who has a background in visual effects.
“It was really just a treat to watch him do his thing because he knows the workflow so well and knows exactly what he wants,” he said.
When asked what it’s like to work on a Netflix series, Chau said the most notable thing is the accessibility to films and shows.
“If you get something on Netflix, all of a sudden you have the largest possible audience for it.”
The filming industry, he added, has slowed down slightly, but he is working towards more acting gigs and is even looking at doing more directing on independent projects.
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