Gordon Cormier Turned Down Initial Offer For Avatar Live Action Audition For the Sweetest Reason
Gordon Cormier is a name on every headline due to his exceptional portrayal of Aang in Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series by Netflix. The French-Filipino actor is doing press tours and talk show interviews to promote the show and familiarize himself with the ways of Hollywood. He started out with commercials and small roles in famous television shows, and now, he is the lead in a Netflix adaptation. The day is not far when Cormier becomes a household name.
Why Did Gordon Cormier Turn Down Avatar Audition?
As revealed by other actors of the show and the showrunners, the audition process for Avatar: The Last Airbender was pretty secretive. Details were kept under wraps until the final casting call was made. Gordon Cormier, who plays Aang in the show, reveals that he initially turned down the audition for the show when his agency reached out to him. When The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the actors of the show, Cormier stated,
“I actually turned down the audition, because I had no clue what it was. I got the audition, and it was for a 12-year-old. I was a small 11-year-old at that point. I had told my agent, “I don’t want any more auditions like this because I’m too small to play 12.” So I turned it down. And then they sent it back and they said, “No, we really want to see this.””
Even during his recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Cormier shared that the audition process was quite rigorous, with many callbacks and chemistry reads. Plus, he was intimidated by the huge script attached to the audition due the next day. So, he decided to pass on it.
“This is a big script. It’s due tomorrow. There’s no way I’m going to book this. I’m tiny. It’s not going to happen,” he added. However, the casting agents reached out again and asked him to send a tape nonetheless. Rest is history, as the showrunners found their perfect Aang in Cormier.
Gordon Cormier Watched Avatar: The Last Airbender 26 Times!
The host of the talk show Jimmy Fallon further asked Cormier if he got a chance to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender since the Nickelodeon animated show was released even before he was born. The Aang actor expresses that after he got the role, he started searching and watching the show, only to fall in love with it and watch it a whopping 26 times. Only the first watch was reserved to learn more about the character. The rest of the time, he watched the show because he liked it way too much.
Initial reviews for the show don’t reflect well, but every fan agrees Cormier was the perfect choice to play Aang. His sweet and charming personality made everyone fall in love with the live-action Aang and, in extension, him as an actor. Moreover, Cormier has already practiced Taekwondo since he was 4, so the stunts and action scenes in the show were smooth sailing as he loved doing martial arts. The actor is eager to get started on more seasons of the show and be back on set with his work friends.
