Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender used contacts to simulate blindness for Toph's actress, Miya Cech.
When Netflix began developing Season 2 of its live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a lot of fans were wondering how they'd handle the casting of Toph. The character is beloved by fans, but she also has a unique trait: she's a blind earthbender. Some fans hoped that the show would cast a blind actress to authentically play Toph. Actress Cech isn't blind, but she worked hard with the team to try to simulate blindness.
The actress wore contacts that restricted her vision on set, and worked with Joe Strechay, the blindness consultant for the series, to make sure that they could portray Toph as truthfully as possible. The actress noted that learning how to play a blind character was one of the biggest concerns she had when approaching the role, but with the help of her fellow cast and Strechay, the team was able to bring Toph to life by making Cech look confident as a blind person who is able to see in her own unique way.
The cast would help guide Cech by letting her know what was in the environment around her, while Strechay helped emphasize the importance of portraying Toph as someone who can effortlessly move through the world and fight without looking. The consultant compared it to doing a no-look pass in basketball, as Toph is an experienced earthbender who sees the world differently from the rest of us.
"Learning how to portray a fully blind character was one of the biggest insecurities I had about this role," Cech said in the exclusive clip, above. "All of my cast mates have been super helpful, telling me where things are in relation to me. That way I'm not going through the scene looking like I can't see, because Toph can see in her own unique way."
Ultimately, it looks like they nailed Toph as a character in the new season. She seems to be witty, badass, and confident. Although Season 2 is coming out later this month, Toph is also expected to return for the show's third season, which is in active development. The third season, like the original series, will be the final season.
IGN gave the first season a 7/10, noting that it "enriches the original story with meaningful new material, but its breakneck pacing, exposition-heavy dialogue, and hit-or-miss effects aren’t precisely in balance."
Image credit: Netflix.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
