Actress Maria Zhang has the tall task of bringing Suki to life in Netflix’s live-action adaptation. Avatar: The Last Airbender – here are some interesting facts that fans should know about him.
Nickelodeon animation Avatar: The Last Airbender series is one of the most popular and beloved series of all time, so many fans were happy when it was revealed that Netflix was coming with a live-action version of the show.
In the new show, actress Maria Zhang plays Suki, the leader of one of the Kyoshi Warrior bands on Kyoshi Island. Just like in the animated series, Suki only appeared in one episode in Season 1, but if the story largely stays the same, fans can expect to see her again.
Everything fans should know about Avatar’s Maria Zhang
Maria has lived all over the world
Despite her young age, Maria Zhang has lived in many different countries around the world and, thanks to her upbringing, has also gotten to know many different cultures.
Maria was born in Poland, but her mother and father raised her in Beijing, China. He later moved again (this time to Southern California, USA) to study, meaning he lived in three different countries before graduating.
Maria is multilingual
It’s rare enough for someone to be fluent in two languages, but Maria Zhang is proficient enough to speak at least four languages.
In an interview with Mixed Asian Media (MAM), Maria revealed that her mother is Polish and her father is Chinese, so when she was growing up, she would speak her parents’ native languages to them.
In the same interview, he also revealed that his parents spoke Russian to each other:
“So I’m half Polish, half Chinese. My mother is Polish, my father is Chinese, and I grew up in a house where my parents spoke Russian to each other (I spoke Polish to my mother and Chinese to my father), so it was a whole jumble of languages and cultures. It just seemed to me to be the norm, but whenever I told other people, they were like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.'”
In the same interview, Maria revealed that she had written her own play at university, which contained four different languages:
“I actually wrote a solo play in college and I was so confused because it was in four different languages.”
Maria’s love for acting began in the theater
In the same interview with MAM, Maria said that her first exposure to acting was in a theater production Alice in Wonderland in Poland.
Although the actor lived in Beijing at the time, he would return to Poland “every summer just to be part of (that) theater group:”
“My grandmother saw this newspaper clipping asking Young Actors to come to this community theater show. They did”Alice in Wonderland‘ and I said, ‘I have to do this!’ I ended up returning to Poland every summer just to be part of this theater group. It was like magic because it was in the middle of the Polish countryside. We run on grass, pouring our heart and soul into weeks of rehearsals to create this imaginary world.”
Maria also described how those plays ignited her passion for acting and how it made her know what she wanted to do with her life:
“They would set up shows on an abandoned train track and everyone would bring their own cushions to sit on and watch the show. I’d hide behind the bushes, ready to go on and see the lights. Feel my heart beat. I’d be terrified, but I love it. I never wanted it to end. I just knew in my heart that I was then happiest. That’s what I love most. And here I am doing it.”
Maria’s artistic talents extend beyond acting
In addition to acting, Maria also likes drawing and sewing.
In an interview with Phosphor Magazine (where she was featured on the issue’s digital cover), she revealed that both of her parents are artists and that one of her career goals is to “draw children’s picture Book:”
“I’m also really interested in visual arts. I come from a family of artists, so I love to draw. One of my bucket list things is to draw a children’s illustration book. I think that would be really cool. On the other hand, I’ve also learned to sew and tried other DIY projects. It’s very soothing to me.”
Maria was inspired by a few A-list actors
In the same interview with Phosphor Magazine, Maria opened up about which movies, TV shows and actors she loved growing up.
The actor mentioned that he loves to watch Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Placebut named Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke as sources of inspiration:
“Then there are more serious things that inspire me. I remember seeing Natalie Portman in a movie”Leon: Professional. I love him. It’s one of my favorites. I ate everythinggame of thrones’ one summer. I love Emilia Clarke and I think she’s so powerful in everything she does.”
Where can fans follow Maria on social media?
Fans can find actress Maria Zhenger on Instagram. Her official username is mariaxzhang.
All eight episodes from season 1 Avatar: The Last Airbender are available to stream on Netflix.
Read more about the rest of the current cast below:
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Who is Andrea Ellsworth? 3 things you need to know about the Vince Staples Show actor
