Exciting news from the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph has been cast.
Miya Cech will portray Toph in Season 2, a skilled earthbender who is blind and uses her other senses to understand the world. Producers Jabbar Raisani and Christine Boylan mentioned they saw many auditions for Toph, but Cech stood out immediately.
“We make a point of reviewing submissions separately and after countless tapes, we both had the same reaction … Miya is our Toph!” they explain. “Miya is a brilliant performer who knows how to precisely balance the sarcastic sense of humor, stubbornness, and vulnerability that is Toph Beifong. Her physicality and emotional dexterity really put her in a class of one.”
Who is Toph?
Boylan and Raisani love Toph’s character from the animated series. “We love how her abrasively hilarious energy complements and clashes with the rest of the Gaang and can’t wait to see that dynamic come to life on set. She’s funny, she’s very smart about the world around her, and a very accomplished earthbender. Underneath all that, she’s got emotional layers we can’t wait to explore.”
Who is Miya Cech?
Miya, also known as Miyako, has acted in Beef, Young Rock, and The Santa Clauses, plus the movie You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. Though she’s played roles with similar humor and sarcasm, this part is unique. “Toph is a completely unique character,” she tells Tudum. “No one is like her.”
Playing Toph is special for Miya as it honors her heritage. “I personally am of Chinese and Japanese American descent and I’m so excited to represent my Chinese heritage in Toph Beifong,” she says. “One of the most incredible aspects of this show is the diversity of the Asian cultures in the Avatar: The Last Airbender world. Even though the universe is fantasy, it feels like every culture is represented in some way and tied to the history and traditions of that culture or country. Just a few years ago, you might have seen one or two of these actors in a show or movie, but on this show we are all able to represent this world together and work together and collaborate. It’s really amazing and a gift as an actor.”
Fans are so happy to see this representation on screen.
Want to know more about Miya? Here are five cool facts about the new Toph:
- Cech is already training for the role of Toph. “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,” she says, adding, “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.” She will also be working with a producer and consultant, who is blind and a professional from the blindness community, to make sure the blindness community is represented appropriately.
- She’s a huge fan of the original series. “I grew up watching the animated series. I’ve always been such a big fan and probably watched it 10 times all the way through. Toph was always my favorite character, so as soon as the casting notice came out, I begged my team to please get me an audition,” she says, adding that she also loved Season 1 of the live-action series. “I have to admit that Gordon’s Aang made me cry several times. Now it’s completely unbelievable that I get to be part of this world too!”
- Her audition process was different. “Unlike some of the actors in Season 1, I did know that I was auditioning for Toph, even though the audition material had dummy sides with different names and storylines. I had two taped auditions, a taped callback, and two in-person auditions with the casting team and producers, including a chemistry read with Gordon.”
- She got tricked when she found out she was cast. “A couple of days after the chemistry read with Gordon, casting asked me to do ‘one last’ Zoom callback with the stunt coordinator. I had never had a stunt callback before, so I actually asked my martial arts instructor to do Zoom with me the night before to get in shape. It turned out that there was no callback. They called to say I had booked it. I was in such shock that I think I just started crying.”
- Even Miya hasn’t seen Toph’s full look yet. “I haven’t actually seen Toph’s costume yet. I truly can’t wait to see it and wear it for the first time. However, we have tested some looks for her iconic hairstyle. Just seeing my ‘Toph do’ was surreal.”
Check back for future updates on Avatar: The Last Airbender.