Many fans and critics thought Elizabeth Yu is too innocent to play a character like Princess Azula, yet Elizabeth Yu does not care and is proud to portray her.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has been largely well-received. This is even though fans were initially hesitant because of how the previous live-action version has turned out. While there were many things to love, one thing stood out. Which is the casting of actors of color in the series as characters who have Asian and Indigenous heritage.
Yet it seems not every fan request can be fulfilled for some faction of the huge fandom the mythos found the casting of Elizabeth Yu problematic. Starring as Princess Azula, an antagonist, fans thought she looked too young and innocent to be playing such a role. Yet Yu is unbothered and unfazed by the criticism.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Actress has No Care for Criticism
Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a pretty impressive show as far as live-action projects go. From casting people of different ethnicities to it being true to the original source, fans and critics have found many things likable about the Netflix show.
But the casting of Elizabeth Yu has been unliked by countless fans, many of whom thought she has too much of a baby face to portray a formidable character like Princess Azula (see Reddit). However, the May December star is unfazed by all the criticism and did an amazing job portraying the young antagonist and her baby face only made the role more terrifying (see Forbes).
And in an interview with Refinery 29 before the premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the actress clapped back at all the critics and stated,
“I’m a hit with the kids. I think anybody playing this part would’ve gotten some kind of backlash.”
Well, the actress was right to call out the critics for she might not have been a hit with the fans prior to the show’s release, but the actress sure is a hit among the critics for even sites like IGN stated Elizabeth Yu crushes it as Azula.
Elizabeth Yu Calls Princess Azula Her Baby Girl
Elizabeth Yu, one of the lead stars of Avatar: The Last Airbender, might seem to appear as a miscast but has been incredible in the Netflix series. While talking about her character to Refinery 29, Yu described Princess Azula as a total girl boss yet truly evil.
“Azula is my baby girl, she’s my boo thing. I love her.”
Moreover, the actress is proud that her younger sisters will have someone like them to look forward to on-screen.
“The idea that my little sisters are going to be able to watch TV and movies, and the likelihood of them getting to see someone that looks like them is so much higher, is such a win. It’s so healing to know that we’re creating an industry where little girls — little anyones — can feel like that.”
While some critics might still be crying over her casting, there is no denying that her success in the role is a testament to the importance of allowing actors of all backgrounds to shine in diverse roles.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming on Netflix.
