A fan-favorite character is joining ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ in season 2
Season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is coming. You know what that means: Toph Beifong is coming with it. While the role of the fan-favorite character has been filled, fans want to know if Miya Cech is vision impaired like the character she plays.
Who is Miya Cech?
Miya Cech is a 17-year-old actress who has appeared in the film You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah as well as the series Beef, where she played a younger version of Ali Wong’s character. The actor is not blind, despite visually impaired people having been encouraged to submit for the role.
According to Cech, training for the role has been intense, and she is currently studying martial arts in order to prepare. As fans of the animated series know, the 12-year-old Toph is an earthbending prodigy.
She was taught the art by earthbending badger moles after becoming lost in a cave as a child. Due to her blindness, Toph’s wealthy parents believed that their daughter’s time was best spent in the safety of their estate. Toph had other plans. She continued to perfect her earth bending in secret, developing it into her own style entirely, a style inspired by the real-life Southern Praying Mantis style of martial arts which traces its origins back to the Hakka people of China.
Miya has had years of martial arts training and also has a background in dance, both of which are likely helping her prepare. Miya is also working with a consultant, who is blind, in order to better play the role.
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
