Exclusive Interview: Lim Kay Siu Talks ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ Bringing His Gyatso to the Screen, and More

Lim Kay Siu shines as one of the breakout stars in Netflix’s gripping new series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In this live-action reimagining of the treasured animated series, viewers follow the journey of Aang, the youthful Avatar, as he endeavors to master the four elements—Water, Earth, Fire, and Air—to restore equilibrium to a world imperiled by the menacing Fire Nation. Assisting Aang on his journey is the remarkable portrayal of Monk Gyatso by Lim Kay Siu, who expertly embodies this iconic character and infuses it with newfound vitality.

Pop Culturalist had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Lim Kay Siu about Avatar: The Last Airbender, his approach to portraying Gyatso on screen, the delightful dynamic of humor and affection between Gyatso and Aang, and much more.

PC: It’s very rare when you star in a project that already has an existing fanbase. For many, Avatar: The Last Airbender played such an integral role in their upbringing. In one respect, that could be a lot of pressure. In another, it must be so exciting for you as an actor to know there’s so much buzz surrounding it. How were you able to balance all those different emotions and expectations heading into this series?
Lim Kay Siu: When I first auditioned for this series, I didn’t realize that it was for Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was described as The Karate Kid, and my character was portrayed as a mentor figure. So I went in with the idea of this Mr. Miyagi-type character. That’s who I had in mind during my audition.

I sent in my tape, and the second audition was on Zoom with Gordon [Cormier], who plays Aang. It was so exciting because he was already so good. You could tell. I had already realized it could be what it was. When I was auditioning with Gordon, my darling wife Swee Lin looked up Gordon and realized it was indeed Avatar: The Last Airbender, and that I was auditioning for the role of Gyatso.

I had already fallen in love with his sense of humor, his wisdom, and his childlike quality. Then to realize I was going to play that, I was bursting out of my skin. Then they asked if I could fly to Vancouver in two weeks. It was so exciting and overwhelming.

When I went in for makeup, I saw the transformation after two and a half hours into the Gyatso that I knew. They did such an incredible job that I felt like the character. Then I went to where we filmed the first Air Temple scene with Gordon, and it was amazing.

It was in this studio with all these panels. I was expecting a green or blue screen, but it was all panels. I think someone told me it’s the same studio where they shot The Mandalorian. With these projections, the clouds were moving, the birds were flying, and I almost couldn’t remember my lines because it was mesmerizing. But once Gordon and I locked in, it was incredible because he’s fantastic. He’s so smart, talented, generous, and kind. He’s just like Aang in those ways. It made my job so much easier and such a pleasure. I could invent something, and he would respond to it. It was amazing.

PC: As you were saying, Gyatso is a mentor to Aang. Who were the people in your own life who shaped the storyteller you are today? Did you channel them in your performance?
Lim Kay Siu: I went to boarding school in England when I was eleven and a half. So a lot of my mentors were English teachers who were very British and literary. They inspired me. I was a music scholar in school. I played the violin. My music teacher and all those rock stars were my idols. There’s a big music side to me, and then there’s this English literature side of me that only came to be when I was 29 years old and started acting by accident. I wanted to be a musician, but my father tried to discourage me, and I got so angry with him that I stopped playing the violin for 30 years. I was a bit too intense about it in those days. [laughs] Then I suddenly found acting was not something that I had aspirations for when I was young. I fell into it accidentally and found that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was amazing.

PC: We’ve seen this character adapted in different mediums by different actors. As you brought your own interpretation to the screen, what’s something new that you brought to him?
Lim Kay Siu: In this version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gyatso loves Aang beyond what we’re used to. There is a personal and universal love between the two. That’s what I was working on the most. I wanted to be quite childlike. The directors were right in allowing me to do that once or twice, and then they were like, “Don’t make it too cutesy.” I still wanted to push that agenda though, so I kept on trying things. They were like, “No, you’ve got the first two. You had a crackle. Gyatso is very funny. Let’s move on to the love.” [laughs] I was guided so well by them. I understood what they were after, and it’s quite sweet and funny.

He has a sense of humor that shows. When it was time to lock into the love, that’s what we went for. I’m very happy to say that it worked out. It’s this childlike innocence, and he has that tremendous love. I hope fans will like it.

PC: The animated series is well known for its use of humor. Your character, in particular, brings a lot of that levity. How much of what we’re going to see is scripted versus improvised? How helpful was it having your theater background when you’re playing with those improvised moments?
Lim Kay Siu: The theater background was excellent because it’s live. My mind is tuned into that. When Gordon and I first started playing, I sort of kicked him on the side, and he burst out laughing. That’s the scene that they caught and used. It’s that playfulness between the two of us. It’s that first scene in the first episode. I was so pleased to see it.

Then moving into the love factor really worked for me after I saw the first episode. That base is quite strong. It was quite moving. Gordon is just excellent in that scene when he finds out that he’s the Avatar. I was very pleased with it. The balance of what they were looking for, I managed to understand it and lock into it. I’m so pleased with this being my first chance in North America to do some acting. I’m very proud of it and very grateful at the same time.

PC: What was the most surprising part as you make your North American debut? What was the biggest takeaway?
Lim Kay Siu: I never dreamt that I would be so lucky to play a character that I could feel so much for. I thought I had to build a body of work with parts here and there before I could do anything that I might be interested in, so I’m so grateful for that. I’m also surprised by that. This is such a huge market. I was preparing myself to try and break in. I knew how much work that would take. But this opportunity came my way, and I’m very, very lucky.

PC: You’re a Singaporean actor, which I imagine means you’re accustomed to seeing faces like ours on screen. But for Western audiences, sadly, this is still one of those rare times when they’ll see our community celebrated on such a large-scale production and on a platform like Netflix. This show is a celebration of Asian excellence. What advice would you give aspiring Asian creatives who want to make their mark on the industry? What does this moment mean to you?
Lim Kay Siu: It’s the culmination of something very deep in my whole career. I’m so grateful for it because I’m an English-speaking actor in Singapore and Asia. That’s very limiting. I can’t act in Taiwan or Hong Kong because my Chinese is not good enough. So I’m basically an English-speaking actor, and this is the culmination of all my years of discovering acting, falling in love with acting, and then needing acting in my life. Now I’m playing a character that I love in the biggest medium of all on Netflix in North America. It’s been so satisfying.

For me, I’m not too nervous to do what I think I want to do with things, so this came at the right time in my life. I’m not looking up and going, “Is that okay? Is that what you’re looking for?” I’m just trying to find the truth in my own heart. You have to love the whole process before you can do that. If I’m too nervous, I’ll never be able to reach that point, so it’s been incredible. I surprised myself that I liked seeing myself on screen. I usually hate it. I hate my look and my voice, and that’s very common for actors. But I was able to watch it and be entertained.

To keep up with Lim Kay Siu, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Still from Netflix