Exclusive Interview: Yvonne Chapman Talks ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ Channeling the Avatar State in Her Craft, ‘Superman & Lois,’ and More

Yvonne Chapman, much like a skilled bender mastering the elements, excels in her craft. Whether she’s directing, writing, acting, or producing, her purpose and mission as an artist is to serve the stories she tells. She’s best known for transformative performances in projects including Kung Fu, The Stranger, and Family Law.

Currently, she can be seen starring as Avatar Kyoshi in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed hit new series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. A live-action reimagining of the beloved animated series following Aang, the young Avatar, as he learns to master the four elements (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Yvonne to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender, her preparation in bringing Avatar Kyoshi to life in this live-action adaptation, channeling the Avatar state in her craft, Superman & Lois, and her love for filmmaking.

PC: We find worlds colliding with your latest project, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Michael Goi, with whom you worked on Kung Fu, championing you for this role. Is there an added sense of pressure when someone is recommending you for such an iconic character?
Yvonne: Yes! [laughs] Also because it’s somebody that I truly respect. Michael is fantastic. I really didn’t want to let him down. I didn’t want to let the fans down or anybody. Kyoshi is such a beloved character, as you said. It was a lot of pressure, but the team is so good. It’s everybody coming together, not just me. It’s everyone who brought this together. Thank goodness. I’m not alone in this, that’s for sure.

PC: Not only were you a fan of this franchise, but you also did so much research in your preparation to play Avatar Kyoshi. As you brought this beloved character onto the screen, what’s something you wanted to make sure was translated from the novels and animated series to this live-action adaptation? What’s something new you brought to her?
Yvonne: I really wanted to strike that balance. I wanted to explore what she would be like as a mentor because that’s a new capacity that we’re seeing her in as opposed to the original source material. But I also wanted to honor what the fans saw and what I saw in the novels.

In this particular circumstance, there are so many ways that Kyoshi could have interacted with Aang, and a lot of them would have been true because, as we see in the novels, there are so many facets to this character and woman. But given the circumstances at the time when Kyoshi Village was under attack, literally as we were talking, tough love was needed. I feel like that’s very true to who she is, especially as we’ve seen her before. She’s a no-nonsense, get-to-business kind of woman. I really wanted to make sure that was part of the characterization of her.

PC: You also get to narrate and kick off this series in Episode 1. How did they reveal that news to you? How different is that filming experience when it’s just your voice as compared to Episode 2 that has all of those intricate fight sequences?
Yvonne: It’s very different. First, the ask came from Michael and Albert [Kim], who again, have been such wonderful caretakers of the series. They used the original source material as their Bible. The original had Katara’s voice. They still wanted to keep it female, but Kyoshi is someone who has been around for 230 years. She would be somebody who would know what’s going on, and they thought the narration would suit her well. That’s why they asked me to jump in on that.

It’s very different because when you’re acting or doing action sequences, you’re in the embodiment of the scene. You’re working off somebody else. You’re in a different environment that lends to a more reactive response whereas this, we did tons of iterations of the voiceover and tried different things. It’s the sound technicians who brought it all together. So kudos to them. But it was fun. It was a different experience being in the sound booth and trying out different ways of saying that intro.

PC: Kyoshi and Aang have a conversation about the Avatar state, and how it’s the place where they can access the energy of past lives and thousands of Avatars. What is the creative equivalent to that? What was a scene that you filmed throughout your career where you were in a similar state and felt that magic?
Yvonne: That’s such a good question. In general, in acting, we always talk about a toolkit of different things that you need to use on set. Sometimes one thing doesn’t work, and another thing will work another time, but it’s a mixed bag of everything. If I had to compare it to the Avatar state of being able to use all elements and channeling all your lives and everything, it would be that. It’s the part of the work where you’ve got to try whatever works at the time because you’ve got to get the job done.

PC: Kyoshi really drives home to Aang what it means to be an Avatar. Gordon [Cormier] is someone who’s getting his big break with this project. Did you share any words of wisdom with him as he traverses this industry and what it means to be an artist and storyteller? What was that point in your own career when you defined what this craft and its responsibility means to you because you’ve always brought such an empathetic quality to the roles that you’ve played?
Yvonne: Thank you so much. I feel like I learned something from him. Honestly, Gordon is wonderful. He’s so giving, kind, and professional, especially at the age that he is. I don’t need to tell him anything. The support system he has is fantastic. His father was with him on set all the time. They’re such a wonderful presence through and through. As we’ve all seen, he’s played Aang beautifully and perfectly. I am so thrilled that they’re getting Season 2 and 3.

As far as traversing this thing, at the end of the day, I’m so happy that I get to do what I love. Each and every project that I get, I am so grateful for because being an actor, it’s more rejections than acceptances. There are more times that you’re not working than when you’re working. So whenever I get the chance to work, that’s always at the forefront. Each and every job is so difficult to get that when I’m there, I want to show up and do the best that I can. I’m so grateful that I get to work.

PC: Something that you did so brilliantly with this role is the ways in which you were able to infuse hints at Kyoshi’s past because there’s only so much that you can fill into a show. There’s a moment when she shares a bit of tough love with Aang, which for those familiar with the source material, feels as if she’s projecting her own shortcomings in her journey. Was that contrast something that was written in the episode or was it something that you brought to it having done that prep work?
Yvonne: It was definitely written in there with that intention in mind. Then, having those discussions and performing it, it’s definitely something that I wanted to bring to her as well because it is a projection. She had such a hard time finding out that she was an Avatar for those who read the book.

She has a very tumultuous childhood and upbringing, and then figuring out that she was the Avatar on top of all that with the very few people that she trusted, betraying her, all of those things she had to learn the hard way. Her saying that to Aang in that moment is definitely a projection. Because right after she says, “I was like you once.” This is where that’s coming from. You hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly what that was.

PC: The series is so well done, and it’s so cinematic. It feels like you’re watching eight films. What was it like getting to see that final product and collaborating with everyone to bring Kyoshi to life on the screen?
Yvonne: I was so happy at the premiere because we all got to celebrate with each other. That hasn’t been a thing for a few years because of COVID and everything. To be able to meet people that I didn’t get to meet on set was so special. Every single time someone new appeared on screen, we cheered. It was so wonderful to do that with the whole team.

The hair, makeup, and wardrobe were everything. You can’t not feel like Kyoshi in that hair, makeup, and costume. It completes everything. Like I’ve said before with any project, when you step into the hair, makeup, and wardrobe, it’s like putting on a different skin. It’s putting on the skin of that character. It completes the whole deal.

PC: It’s transformative. You’re a multifaceted talent who has such a strong affinity for writing and directing. What are the types of stories that you’re most interested in telling through those disciplines?
Yvonne: I’m a sucker for those kinds of stories that really delve into the quiet moments in life. Because there’s so much to be said about those little quiet moments that we have when interacting with one another or even with ourselves that sometimes don’t get enough airtime to be shown. I love that kind of style, but I also really love the epic stuff too.

If I could do that in a sci-fi, I’d be totally down for it. A huge comedy as well. For me, at the end of the day, what it really comes down to is sharing the human experience and seeing those full colors on screen. If I can participate in that in any way, whether it’s through writing or acting, I’m on board.

PC: Your 2024 is off to the strongest of starts with Avatar, and then it was recently announced that you’re joining Superman & Lois. Amanda has a very small role in the comics, but through the screen adaptation, you’re going to get to write a new chapter for her. How different was that character development and preparation process compared to Kyoshi, where you have this wealth of source material?
Yvonne: It’s quite different. Because, as you said, with Kyoshi, there’s a wealth of source material. I can pull from so many different things. With Amanda, what I had to go by were the scripts for Superman & Lois and my discussions with the showrunners who were wonderful. Anyone who is a fan of Superman & Lois, oh my gosh, you’re not going to be disappointed with this final season. It’s so good. There was more than enough, honestly, reading the scripts. It’s so clear to me who she is, and the showrunners are so great at breaking it down for me in that sense. In their description to me and what was released of the role, it made perfect sense with the world-building of it and the final season of it with Lex Luthor. It was very different but still enough to work off of.

PC: Similar to many of the characters you’ve portrayed, there’s also a significant contrast in the types of projects you’ve worked on, from bigger budgets like Avatar and Kung Fu to indies like The Stranger and Dragon Fruit. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and a storyteller? Can you share some of the indie projects you have in the works?
Yvonne: With the indie projects, I love doing them because I’m usually working with really good friends. Dragon Fruit was done with Jeremy Brown, who wrote, directed, and produced the short film. He is such a force, and oh my gosh, the amount of work that goes into an indie project because you’re wearing a thousand different hats all at once. I wasn’t part of that project for the full four years, but it took him four years to finish the project from inception to the final product.

On The Stranger, it was a friend of mine, Curtis Lum. I worked with him on one of the first things I ever booked as an actor. We kept in touch. He was like, “I’m producing this short film and I’m acting in it too. You’d be really good for it.” When it’s your friends and it’s a passion project, I love those sets because you get to work with the people around you. We always hope for that.

I send so many auditions to my friends and I’m like, “You should go out for this. You should go out for that because we’re just hoping to be on set together one day.” So when projects like that come and you can support somebody that you know and really care about, it’s a win-win.

To keep up with Yvonne, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Richie Lubaton