By Melinda Thompson
“Hello, Zuko here.”
These are the first words Dante Basco said as he entered the Zoom call, quoting his character Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” University of Maryland Student Entertainment Events hosted the event on Tuesday night as a part of their voice actor series.
Basco talked about a variety of subjects including his experiences in the acting world and Asian representation in Hollywood. He discussed his role as Zuko, one of his most famous characters.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is set in a world where people have elemental powers of water, earth, fire and air. The series follows Aang, a boy who can “bend” all elements, as he works to end a war started by the Fire Nation. Zuko is a prince of the Fire Nation.
Basco compiled an “Avatar: The Last Airbender” tier list with the host, Sammy Garcia, a senior supply chain management major. Even though the show aired 16 years ago, the love for it has never dwindled among its fans. The show grew in popularity once again when it was added to Netflix during the pandemic.
“I still watch it today, you know, because of how amazing it is and the continuity and the stories, the world building,” Garcia said. “And because of what it instills in me. It makes me feel like a kid again.”
Basco talked about some of the hardships that he has faced through 35 years of acting. He talked about the abuse of child actors and “cultish” acting classes that he and his family had to overcome.
Listening to this generated questions for junior theatre major Yani Hill about her well-being as she moves forward in the acting world.
“It had me thinking about, like, how do I protect myself or stand up for myself and people, self advocacy,” Hill said.
Hill said “Avatar The Last Airbender” offered her representation with the character Katara.
“I think the thing that really sold me on it was having Katara be one of the main protagonists, because that was the first time that I had seen another brown skinned girl be that kind of powerful in like a fantasy genre,” Hill said. “Katara is still feminized in the power that she holds … a lot of the power she holds is really emotionally centered, but she isn’t less valuable for that.”
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” inspired Hill to create a podcast with her friends, “The Ember Island Critics,” where they analyze the characters.
Representation was one message that Basco talked about. He talked about Asian representation in the media and how Asian actors are building the groundwork for years to come. Basco said that it is necessary to have more Asian representation in films and TV shows.
“I think it meant more for those comedians and actors who are people of color because he really was emphasizing that and how that is so important to how he came was on the rise, you know, and I think that it’s tied in with his life work, it’s tied in with who he is as a human being,” Garcia said.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” drew inspiration from a blend of Southeast Asian cultures and philosophies to create its four nations.
Filipino Cultural Association member Josh Namata, a senior public health science major and Asian American studies minor, said that he could see both his Filipino and Japanese cultures represented in the show.
“The big thing that I think that really helps the show be such a uniting force [for] Asian American[s] is the way it tells our stories in a way,” Namata said. “For one thing, it tells the story of the immigrant and the refugee, especially when we talk about the Earth Kingdom.”
Basco encouraged people to get out there, practice and make themselves successful.
Featured image: Dante Basco first became known in the acting world as Rufio in “Hook,” but many now remember him for his iconic turn as Zuko in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Photo courtesy of Melinda Thompson.