Lim Kay Siu on playing Gyatso in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Singapore’s ‘world-class’ actors

As expected, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender – which originally aired as an animated series on Nickelodeon – has premiered to strong ratings. The eight-episode series has topped viewership charts in many countries, including the US, Singapore and Malaysia, and has racked up 21.2 million views in its opening weekend. By now, eagle-eyed fans would have noticed a familiar face sharing scenes with Gordon Cormier, the show’s star.

Lim Kay Siu, the Singaporean theatre and TV veteran who's appeared in movies such as Anna And The King and of course, played Frankie Foo in Phua Chu Kang, shines in his role as Gyatso, a caring mentor to Cormier’s Aang.

CNA Lifestyle recently got the chance to chat with the 68-year-old actor via a Zoom call, where he was also joined by his wife, the equally renowned local actress Neo Swee Lin.

FIRST OFF, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY (KAY SIU’S BIRTHDAY WAS FEB 28, A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW). HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY.

(It was) very good. We just had a lovely lunch for my birthday, and then came back for this interview.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SHOW’S PREMIERE. IT HAS RECEIVED GREAT RATINGS. HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING YOU’RE IN AN ACCLAIMED HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION?

It's an incredible feeling. I mean, we knew we were onto something big because when I first auditioned, I didn't know what I was auditioning for. 

I was told it was a Mr Miyagi-type character. (Swee Lin and I) are both fans of (the original Avatar: The Last Airbender), but we didn't know at the time… When I managed to get a second audition, I was reading opposite a boy called Gordon (Cormier) – Swee Lin got me a scroller on our computer so that I could read the lines.

I was so excited. And it was quite a lot of lines… and the audition went really well. (Swee Lin later) Googled (Cormier) and she found that he was cast on Avatar: The Last Airbender. That's when we had (an) idea (of) what this project was: That he is Aang. 

SO YOU GUYS REALLY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE AUDITIONING FOR?

Yes. [Referring to the audition slides he was given] “A mentor to a boy genius”, that kind of thing. So I thought it was gonna be a (tough love character) like Mr Miyagi and not like what's turned out in Gyatso. And I think there's a lot more kind and gentle loving there, and more childlike love as well.

THE NEWS OF YOU GETTING THE ROLE OF GYATSO BROKE OUT SOMETIME IN 2021. IN THAT TIME, HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THE ROLE?

I already had a very strong impression of Gyatso, from watching the original Nickelodeon series. He was very childlike and cute. And yet, he loved Aang so much. So I was already very influenced by the animation. But when I got to filming, my preparation was more for tough love. 

When I got to Vancouver and spoke with showrunner Albert Kim, he was very clear about what he wanted to get: He wanted much more love. And I was trying to give a little bit of the comedy of Gyatso – his cuteness, his laughter. 

We did do some of that and then (Kim) said: “Okay, no more. I want much more love from you.” So, he gave me the direction. 

Albert Kim and Michael Goi, who was the director of the first episode, really helped me find the character… It was an amazing process because Gordon is so talented that he showed all these characteristics of Aang off the set. He showed me where to get coffee, where to get a burger; he ordered food for me and stuff like that. He was just so kind to me, so I kind of fell in love with him as well. A lot of that love transfers in the scenes.

AS A FAN OF THE ANIMATED AVATAR AND AN ACTOR IN THE LIVE-ACTION AVATAR, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES OF THE TWO SHOWS?

When I saw the trailers, I realised the sound, visuals and effects were so deep that it made the experience deeper than the animation itself… So I realised from the trailers that this experience was going to be more intense than the animation.

They were sticking to the story and I knew that, from the scripts, the experience would be more adult-like because of the depth of the effects and the way the lines are spoken by the actors – where there's more feeling naturally coming from them. 

So the effect (is that the live-action show) has a slightly different result than the animation. I don't know how the fans are going to take this or (how) the fans have taken it, because it's out already.

But I like it because of the comedy and (because) they stuck to the story very much. There was this added intensity because it's live-action.

SINCE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT EFFECTS, IT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THAT THE SHOW WAS FILMED IN THE SAME STUDIOS AS THE MANDALORIAN. HOW DO YOU APPROACH ACTING WITH A GREEN SCREEN WHERE THERE AREN’T A LOT OF ELEMENTS FOR YOU TO INTERACT WITH

Actually, my first scene was not (with a) green screen. It was the same studio that shot The Mandalorian that has all these panels. So it was just so beautiful with the clouds going by, and the birds flying and all the buildings.

I was very overwhelmed very first. But ultimately, it's very inspiring, because that's where the genocide of the Southern Air Temple takes place. And I was aware of that.

I also felt: “My goodness. This whole place, everybody's gonna be killed.” So there was a really deep stirring emotion in me. And then it came out. (Gyatso) translated his love for Aang but there was a certain kind of uncertainty about telling him that he was going to be the Avatar.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER’S LAST STAND AGAINST THE FIRE NATION. HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THAT?

I was very daunted by the kung fu; I had to learn quite a lot of kung fu with a stick. There's a whole routine that I had to learn in three stages. 

From the first time I flew to Vancouver, each time I flew, I would have to practise kung fu. And they gave me time; they didn't shoot it immediately, so I'm just practising kung fu all the time with the stick. By the time we got to filming, I could do my movements. 

But I knew that I wasn't that smooth. I had done tai chi before as a theatre actor in Singapore and a certain amount of Shaolin but it didn't prepare me for the stick work.

I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE LAST QUESTION. WHAT’S YOUR PHILOSOPHY TOWARDS ACTING NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME?

I think you've always got to be in love with it. For me, I stayed on in acting and always pursued it not because of ambitions of fame or fortune or money. 

It's because we love what we do. 

There are so many actors in Singapore who are so good, dedicated and passionate about acting. I'm so pleased that I come from that background. Be proud of it. Now, the Singapore actors are beginning to show that we are world-class…We're doing so well and I'm very proud of that.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently airing on Netlfix. Fans who want to see more of Lim Kay Siu and Neo Swee Lin can catch their live streams on Twitch.