Dallas Liu get the ~honor~ of playing Zuko in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series, a.k.a. the prince of the Fire Nation. Keep reading to learn more about Dallas and his iconic character.
Who Is Dallas Liu?
Dallas, 22, made his acting debut in Tekken at 8 years old, playing a young Jin Kazama. He has gone on to appear in several TV shows including Maya Erskine‘s PEN15 and Carter in Legendary Dudas. On top of that, he played Awkwafina‘s younger brother in the 2021 Marvel film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Dallas started practicing martial arts when he was 5 years old, and stopped competing internationally at 13 years old. He focused on Japanese Shotokan, and competed in the North American Sport Karate Association.
What Has Dallas Liu Said of Playing Zuko?
In August 2021, it was announced that Dallas would be portraying Prince Zuko in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series, one of the most beloved characters in the original animated series.
“I really wanted to make sure that I wasn’t doing an impersonation of this character and that I was making him a relatable,” Dallas told IndieWire of his character in February 2024. “I would love for [viewers] to hate him, but deep down I would want them to be rooting for him.”
“He’s a good guy trying to be a bad guy,” Liu said, a concept that helped him guide the character. “He’s someone that thinks he’s always doing the right thing, but is so completely unaware that he’s not doing that.”
Along with making sure he got his character right, he revealed that the original voice actor behind Zuko, Dante Basco, reached out to the young star personally.
“He said ‘I’m handing you the torch,’” Liu recalled. “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.”
The live-action show premiered on Netflix February 22, 2024.
“The script they had put together had really allowed for me to not make Zuko different, but make him a real person,” he added. “Zuko is serious, but in his heart, he’s still a 16/17 year old kid…. this guy is fighting for his life, but he is a teenager who is also unaware of the trauma that he experienced. They let me play him as someone that truly has experienced trauma and banishment versus going over-the-top with his classic anger and hotheadedness.”
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