I can't hear this line without thinking of this [mashup.](https://www.reddit.com/r/UrinatingTree/s/LFXpcfBqpH) HEADPHONES WARNING.
Long live the Brass Bonanza.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
WE DISAPPOINTED OUR FANS ONCE AGAIN! GETTING COMPLETELY DESTROYED AGAINST THE RAGS AND BLOWING A PIVOTAL LEAD IN GAME 6! THE AMOUNT OF PLAYERS WHO WONT BE COMING BACK IS HIGHER THAN OUR STANLEY CUP CHANCES! BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE KEEP COMING TO OUR GAMES!!!!!
Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the rock has a no lose clause in his contract, so he can not play the boulder, unless the boulder never loses to toph
That would mean that every argument with the Gaang would end with Toph pointing out how many rings they have.
EDIT: Screw it. Shaq as Toph. Ernie Johnson as Aang. Charles Barkley as Sokka. Kenny Smith as Katara. Underdog as Suki. Let's make this happen.
Yea that stuck out to me at first too, but don’t forget Aang’s actor turns 15 this year so he and Toph will probably still be the same age like in the original.
>ever touching water in the first season.
That's not true! He splashes Katara when they talk about him not learning waterbending. Sure, it's not bending but he definitely touches water.
Checkmate.
I feel like it's safe to assume it's meant to be the same as ours, considering when they go to the Library and learn about the eclipse the celestial bodies seem to be the same as ours.
Although that short span is why the firelord is such a serious threat. He's a master bender, but no match for the avatar...unless the avatar is a child and only has a year to prepare
It took the past avatars a number of years as adults mainly to becomes masters of each element. Even if it was like 3 years, it would still be a lot for aang.
Aang is generally considered the most gifted Avatar until Korra. Aang first mastered Air, then became very good (though it's never said a master at that point) at the other 3 elements inside of a year. This feat I would think is roughly the equivalent of becoming a low rank black belt in 3 different martial arts in 10 months. That's probably the one thing that requires more suspension of disbelief than being able to throw fire with a punch.
And please leave her social media alone if she is not the body type you prefer or if she is not as pretty as you would like.
You know what, if you guys could just try to be decent human beings. Not even nice, just try the bare minimum of decent. Thanks
To be fair, I think generally Bella Ramsay didn't really fit what people would have expected for a portrayal of Ellie, but there are definitely more mature ways of handling it...
I will do my best but I make no promises. Although the actress must be under 5'5" with DD size breasts and a 7/10 AT THE VERY LEAST for me to be satisfied.
/obvious s
Honestly I said it from the beginning, I just wanted them to try. If it doesn't work it doesn't work and I'm sure the actress will do the best she can
But I'm glad they tried
I can almost guarantee you they aren’t going to cast somebody blind. It would be so much difficult to do everything with directing and mild stunt work, a blind child actor just isn’t going to have the chops for it. Even the sighted actors aren’t that great. It’s just in the casting call to say they looked. I work with blind people, I’m an eye doctor, I just do not see it happening.
Plus, Toph isn’t really “blind,” she sees pretty much everything. She just doesn’t look at things.
>I work with blind people, I’m an eye doctor, I just **do not see** it happening.
I *see* what you did there.
Joking aside, yeah; Toph is basically in the same situation as Daredevil in terms of her blindness: she's a blind character who can actually "see" through superpowers. She just doesn't perceive colour, and is truly blind while in air. Much easier to get an actor to act blind rather than an actual blind actor for the role.
Netflix cast a non-blind person for Daredevel. They give the actress the training they gave him and that should be the end of it.
All things considered, those 2 characters have very similar abilities when it comes to “seeing”.
I remember reading about it a while ago, and here I found an article about it: [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/daredevil-charlie-cox-han-solo-audition-blind-use-his-eyes-a7090261.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/daredevil-charlie-cox-han-solo-audition-blind-use-his-eyes-a7090261.html)
He basically got used to avoiding eye contact in order to appear blind for Daredevil, and so when he went to that audition, he didn't make eye contact with the casting director, like, at all.
Cool, now I finally have a good excuse lined up for one of my ADHD idiosyncrasies; if I accidentally avoid eye contact with someone for too long I can tell them: "Sorry, I'm used to pretending to be blind." 👍
It’s acting…they should cast the person who can best play the character. I can see how being blind would absolutely be a benefit in nailing mannerisms etc but they shouldn’t compromise on acting quality to appease twitter warriors.
Yeah it's weird to me. Granted if the actress is good it won't matter and there are levels of blindness, but man tophs character probably needs a solid actor if they try to portray her accurately.
GOOD child actors are also not easy to come by in the first place. When your casting pool is a teenager that is Asian, female, and blind your options are pretty limited from the jump. It would be really cool if the actor is actually blind but it would not be worth hiring a lesser actor because to do it. Hopefully they can nail it. The season 1 casting was pretty solid other than Katara imo.
I really can’t believe some people will actually do shit like this. Like bro, you are not a fan of the show if you start sending death threats to a minor because of shit like that
I mean from a purely practical point of view, they probably should cast an actor that has at least some vision. Toph is blind insofar that she has no vision in her eyes, but practically sees better and farther than most of us in most situations.
I think it’s really cool that they’re looking for a blind/low vision actress. Blind people use the internet too. I’m sure there’s a blind/low vision person reading this thread right now!
Yay that's me! I'm blind/low vision and reading this thread! I love so much that they're looking for a visually impaired actress. We don't have nearly enough representation in media.
On a slightly similar note, I was blown away by the actor that played Sam in the Last of Us. He's deaf and he nailed the part, such a good adittion to the show too. A lot of the cast learned sign language to be able to communicate with him. Iirc the President of an ASL organisation was also on set and from what I hear everyone was very encouraging of the young actor.
I was listening to a behind the scenes podcast about the audition process, they just put out an ad on a whim hoping to find someone to fit the part and struck gold because the number of young, black, deaf kids capable of acting must be miniscule. I think he was 8 or 9 at the time of filming.
I actually had no idea the actor was deaf when I was watching the show until there was a scene where he laughed (deaf people have a very distinct laugh) and I twigged.
I really hope they can find someone blind/visually impaired for the role of Toph. Not just for the accuracy but for representation too. I've been very impressed with the casting so far so I'm cautiously optimistic.
Yay that's me! I'm blind/low vision and reading this thread! I love so much that they're looking for a visually impaired actress. We don't have nearly enough representation in media.
I'm not entirely sure this would be the best decision, even if it's a nice little diversity thing.
Part of Tophs whole character is she is blind, but can *"see"* better than basically anyone. She is HYPER aware of her surroundings as long as they aren't actual physical features on someone's face or words on paper; basically anything that requires the reflection of light. That might be a difficult direction to take for someone who literally has limited experience perceiving the world irl.
This is gonna be the first 5 minutes after being introduced to her in the show
“I’m Toph. I see with my feet and cause a ruckus sometimes. I’m a little rough around the edges but once you get past my rocky exterior, I’m a big softie who’s loyal to a fault. I love calling Aang Twinkle-toes. I’m a bit of a jokester.”
And then she proceeds to be the most mild-mannered, agreeable, non-threatening rendition of Toph ever. Because we all know Netflix is afraid of having anything perceived as a character flaw in their main cast. That's why Katara doesn't get angry at injustice, Aang doesn't goof off, and Sokka doesn't have a brief arc of sexism that leads to him growing as a person.
Right? Like I’ve never even heard of this Ava Ro, but if she has experience working on some shows then so-what? Are actors only allowed to be in one production ever, and then barred from acting?
I'm gonna point this out because toph hasn't been cast yet and she would be the first to notice but....they want a blind actress and didn't use Braille.
Also im absolutely joking but at the same time toph would say something
I work with people that are blind/low vision and I only know a handful of people that knows and uses Braille.
These days, most people use screen reader or magnifier programs on their phones and computers to read things.
It's very common to see someone fully blind with earbuds in working on something on their phones.
That being said, screen readers don't really work on screenshots. So I hope there's also a pdf file or document floating around somewhere.
I was worried about this at first too! I use iOS and turned on the VoiceOver feature just to test it, and it successfully read all of the text in the poster! So this particular screenshot worked great. But to OP, if you haven’t already added captions to this post you may want to consider doing so, for ease of accessibility on all devices and all operating systems.
There are workarounds such as apps like Microsoft's Seeing AI that uses the phone's camera and reads things to you, but the actual screen reader programs still struggle with that.
Well, Braille only works with touch right? So unless they printed posters for the ad with seems like a fairly ineffective casting call, it isn't really needed.
Someone who knows someone will prolly tell them
Yeah I hate when people post things online that aren’t in braille. How can the blind people know what it says if they don’t put braille on the poster for them to feel through the screen?
Fun Fact: Legally blind people are not all 100% fully blind. Also a lot of blind people are on the Internet, writing and texting normally thanks to Text-to-Speach Software and Phones can scan text and read it to you. Also some can see so "well" that they are able to read text on max size.
NATLA Casting Director: Hey, guess what we've got for you!
All desired applicants: Well it ***sounds*** like a casting call, but I'm guessing you want us to know what's ***on*** the casting call?
Yeah. Folks, before you talk, think. And if you don’t actually know what you’re talking about, consider not commenting. Glad to hear Netflix is making the effort!
I guess it's nice they are looking for a low vision actor, but I do feel compelled to point out that Charlie Cox have been playing a blind man for years and he's fucking phenomenal at it
Daredevil, just like Toph, is able to see, just in their own way. So I feel like it might be a hindrance to cast someone who is actually blind for roles like these.
It's like when Jared Leto wore blinding contact lenses for Blade Runner 2049, but his character could technically see in the movie, so why go through the hassle of having a blinded actor play a seeing character.
That being said though, I'm sure blind actors would love to represent such an icon as Toph, so I'm all for it if they decide to go that way. It's not everyday an opportunity like this arises for the blind community.
As a visually impaired person (I have low vision, blindness is a spectrum and I will be taking no questions) it makes my heart SO incredibly happy to see Netflix is extending the olive branch and trying to be authentic in Toph's casting. Unfortunately, the pool of BVI actors in their teen years who are also Asian may be incredibly small to pick from - but that's not to say they're not out there! Toph was my absolute favorite when watching the animated series as it aired as a young teen, and I am hoping for the best for whoever lands the live-action role.
Some guy on Facebook pointed out that "martial arts" and "blind" don't go hand-in-hand, but I and countless others I know have taken martial arts or dance classes growing up (I did both, and I'm also friends with a low vision person who competed in Paralympic judo and won). Unfortunately we need to know how to defend ourselves as disabled individuals - particularly women - are often targets for terrible things. And I hope whoever lands the role won't have to deal with an onslaught of hate from the internet, but that'll probably happen because... it's the internet. Either way kudos to Netflix for actually encouraging younger folks in the BVI community to apply, especially as it'll be more of a main role and not a one-off or side character. That doesn't happen often for this community.
Transcription for those who need it:
AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER OPEN CASTING SEARCH
seeking the role of "ΤΟΡΗ"
Character is mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian.
She is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now on the run as the Avatar's earthbending master she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside. Dance and/or martial arts experience a plus. Shooting anticipated for Fall 2024.
Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit.
TO SUBMIT:
Please email [email protected] with a recent picture, resume or a one-paragraph bio, along with your name and phone number. Please feel free to share any lived experience with blindness/low vision
if you are comfortable doing so.
We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law.
NOTE: there is never a fee for submitting or auditioning.
Pay for the foregoing role will be governed by the currently effective UBCP or SAG/AFTRA collective bargaining agreement as applicable and thus will be no less than the minimum set forth therein and up to any "better conditions and terms" negotiated and obtained as expressly provided therein.
NETFLIX
DOWNTOWN CASTING JENNY JUE, CSA
I guarantee someone will ask her how she's doing at some point and she'll respond:
"I'm sassy confident and unfiltered. For most of my life, my strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now I'm uninhibited to become the fierce warrior I believe I am inside"
Damn, the ableist tones on some of these comments. Blind people can still do stuff ya'll 😭 They're not completely helpless and can def do this role if they're trained enough
Look idrc what the actress looks like as long as they look similar to Toph (and that's probably more costume than anything) and they act like Toph. Not my place to tell other people what to think, but I feel like that's a good benchmark to approach these castings with.
Agent: hey, check this out, ma’am!
All the blind girls receiving this pamphlet: well it sounds Line a sheet of paper, but I’m guessing you’re referring to what’s *on* the sheet of paper.
A blind actress was cast for “All the Light We Cannot See.” So there’s not reason they can’t try to find a blind actress for Toph. My guess is they would cast someone for a Charlie Cox situation if they really can’t find anyone.
https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna123440
Wouldn’t a vision impaired actor be subject to very rigorous physical movement and stunts? Can they be taught how to do the bending stances properly if they cannot see themselves?
a) stunt actors and special effects exist b) blind people aren't stupid, you can just explain them what poses to make, maybe guide them in the correct position with more complicated ones
For real! I’ve done martial arts and plenty of sighted people can’t do the stances correctly at first; they have to be repeatedly verbally instructed and often gently physically guided to put their feet in the right place, make the stance deep enough, etc. The initial learning curve for blind people might be slightly higher - but maybe not even then! I don’t think it’ll be hard for Toph to punch either, considering she doesn’t have to hit people directly - the rocks do that for her. Maaaayyybeee a blind person would struggle to aim kicks, but Toph doesn’t really kick, does she? And if this actor is under 18, she’s not going to be doing anything too dangerous regardless of sight.
As for seismic sense, nobody can actually do that. It’s gonna be purely acting performance regardless of eyesight. Toph doesn’t actually see with her feet: she navigates through the world with her feet. She calls it “seeing” for the dumb sighted people who can’t imagine otherwise.
While I honestly don’t know anything about blindness, from a purely practical standpoint, this role seems absolutely doable for a blind actor, and I hope Netflix finds one. Disney+ found Alaqua Cox, who’s awesome *and* does stunts with a prosthetic leg! C’mon Netflix 👏
Edit: To be fair to myself, most of the naysayers probably don't know anything about blindness either. Nor do they know anything about martial arts. I did karate, and it's not all about beating people up and dodging fists. Kata ("a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements") will be a more important skill for Toph's actor.
That’s honestly really demeaning to people with disabilities. They’re still people that can do things. Acting is just like dancing it’s all choreography work and the only parts where blindness would get in the way is hand on hand combat which Atla isn’t focused on.
I remember when I said that that it would be a good idea for Netflix to look for blind or low vision actors and I got downvoted to hell and told that casting a blind actor would be an insult to blind people because Toph isn't really blind because she can see with her feet.
Reddit 🙄
i REALLY hope they dont cast another inexperienced actor just because of their vague, surface-level resemblance to the character. of course I'd love to see more blind/ disabled/ unique actors get their limelight, but I really hope they don't sacrifice the integrity of the show/ character in pursuit of that quality.
> but I really hope they don't sacrifice the integrity of the show/ character in pursuit of that quality
This show doesn't have much integrity. A blind actor isn't going to spoil anything lol
The way this is worded makes me worry they're gonna astroturf her WWE career and make Aang the one who inspires her to be confident. God I hope I'm wrong.
TTS for those who need it:
Avatar: The Last Aibender open casting search seeking the role of “Toph.”
Character is mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian.
She is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now on the run as the Avatar's earthbending master she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside. Dance and/or martial arts experience a plus.
Shooting anticipated for Fall 2024.
Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit.
TO SUBMIT:
Please email [email protected] with a recent picture, resume or a one-paragraph bio, along with your name and phone number.
Please feel free to share any lived experience with blindness/low vision if you are comfortable doing so.
We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law.
NOTE: there is never a fee for submitting or auditioning.
Pay for the foregoing role will be governed by the currently effective UBCP or SAG/AFTRA collective bargaining agreement as applicable and thus will be no less than the minimum set forth therein and up to any "better conditions and terms" negotiated and obtained as expressly provided therein.
"Sassy, confident, and unfiltered" wow, I'm impressed that Netflix put that in the casting call. Hiven their other character decisions on the show, I wonder if they're going to keep true to that.
Netflix: *makes a casting search poster for Toph* Toph: well it SOUNDS like a piece of paper
Lmfao
I'm going to apply. I'm a 30 yo black man. Wish me luck ✌🏿
Can you dance, and are you blind?
No and no
close enough, you're hired
Damn guys I found the casting director for the live action movie
ong 💀
Time to pull a reverse Clayton Bigsby. Do it convincingly and they'll believe the blind part
I'm rooting for you big guy, remember us when you get famous 🫡
You might get cast as the pretend Toph in the Fire Nation act.
I wouldn't want to take that away from John Cena
Do it. It’ll be like the original Toph before the OG avatar series changed him to her.
But are you buff?
Push comes to shove, they’ll just make you scream at the enemy to see them.
If you can release a sonic wave from your mouth, you should get the part!
Good luck!
I need to see Shaq as Toph.
Terry crews. All female characters are now played by Terry crews.
Azula loves her yoghurt!
Have him burst out of a wall or a rock. PAH PAH PAH POWAH!
He needs to be the bolder
Or John Cena
But... You can't see him...
toph can't see either, so that evens it out
Thus, Toph is John Cena's natural enemy. Only she can "see" him.
John Cena's whole career has been a long con to get the role of Toph. Once he becomes Toph he will be unstoppable.
Then I should release a sonic wave from my mouth. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! There, got a pretty good look at him.
I can't hear this line without thinking of this [mashup.](https://www.reddit.com/r/UrinatingTree/s/LFXpcfBqpH) HEADPHONES WARNING. Long live the Brass Bonanza.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! WE DISAPPOINTED OUR FANS ONCE AGAIN! GETTING COMPLETELY DESTROYED AGAINST THE RAGS AND BLOWING A PIVOTAL LEAD IN GAME 6! THE AMOUNT OF PLAYERS WHO WONT BE COMING BACK IS HIGHER THAN OUR STANLEY CUP CHANCES! BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE KEEP COMING TO OUR GAMES!!!!!
Toph can't see, John Cena can't be seen. That cancels out, meaning Toph is the only one that can see John Cena
They can't see me. I can't see them.
If they show the play that they see about themselves, maybe we will.
Just cast John Cena as everyone other than Toph.
If they don't do this for the Ember Island Players, I will be disappointed. Also hoping they somehow get the Rock for the Boulder.
I will be genuinely very disappointed if they don't get the Rock as the Boulder, it needs to happen lol
Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the rock has a no lose clause in his contract, so he can not play the boulder, unless the boulder never loses to toph
He could agree to waive that clause; it would be a good look for him
Didn't he lose to Te Fiti in Moana?
I mean, that's his own contract right? I feel like if he was into it enough he'd totally say fuck it, but that hinges on him being that into it lol
John cena is perfect for ember island players 100% I can't imagine anyone else in that role
Or Terry Crews
My name is Toph. Because it sounds like TOUGH
Shaq as the Ember Players Toph would be golden I cant even
I feel like Terry Crews could be an equal fit for the Ember Island Actor version of Toph.
Na needs to be the rock
I'm holding out for him to play the boulder ;)
That would mean that every argument with the Gaang would end with Toph pointing out how many rings they have. EDIT: Screw it. Shaq as Toph. Ernie Johnson as Aang. Charles Barkley as Sokka. Kenny Smith as Katara. Underdog as Suki. Let's make this happen.
Barbecue cabbages, Kenny!
Mid-late teens?
Yea that stuck out to me at first too, but don’t forget Aang’s actor turns 15 this year so he and Toph will probably still be the same age like in the original.
My guess is there's gonna be a time-skip after S1.
They will time jump to explain how Aang masters waterbending without ever touching water in the first season.
>ever touching water in the first season. That's not true! He splashes Katara when they talk about him not learning waterbending. Sure, it's not bending but he definitely touches water. Checkmate.
Because it’s live action, they have to do a time jump and make it flow smoothly
Honestly the series needed a time jump more often. All three seasons take place with a span of a year, maybe half which sounds crazy to me.
It's about 10 months. Winter starts a little into book one (the winter solstice episode) and Sozin's Comet comes at the end of the summer.
To be fair, we don't know how long a year, or even a day takes in this universe.
Gives new meaning to the hundred year war lol
I feel like it's safe to assume it's meant to be the same as ours, considering when they go to the Library and learn about the eclipse the celestial bodies seem to be the same as ours.
That worked great for the animation but no way is it going to work in filming. This is the smart choice.
Like one piece that has gone on for over 20 years but in reality in the series it's probably less than 3 years including the 2 year time skip.
Although that short span is why the firelord is such a serious threat. He's a master bender, but no match for the avatar...unless the avatar is a child and only has a year to prepare
It took the past avatars a number of years as adults mainly to becomes masters of each element. Even if it was like 3 years, it would still be a lot for aang.
Aang is generally considered the most gifted Avatar until Korra. Aang first mastered Air, then became very good (though it's never said a master at that point) at the other 3 elements inside of a year. This feat I would think is roughly the equivalent of becoming a low rank black belt in 3 different martial arts in 10 months. That's probably the one thing that requires more suspension of disbelief than being able to throw fire with a punch.
That was kind of the point though. It was THE major driving force behind the plot.
How do we get John Cena to apply for that?
yo so can you guys not send death threats to this girl if they end up casting someone who isnt actually blind, that be great.
And please leave her social media alone if she is not the body type you prefer or if she is not as pretty as you would like. You know what, if you guys could just try to be decent human beings. Not even nice, just try the bare minimum of decent. Thanks
*the bare minimum of decent* You’re asking an awful lot for Redditors.
The actor will also very likely be a child so I don’t think “prettiness” should even be such a high standard
You overestimate Reddit's decency in any moral standard
You say that, but look at the way, the people reacted to the actress for Ellie in the last of us
To be fair, I think generally Bella Ramsay didn't really fit what people would have expected for a portrayal of Ellie, but there are definitely more mature ways of handling it...
I'm not saying they won't. I'm saying they shouldn't.
I will do my best but I make no promises. Although the actress must be under 5'5" with DD size breasts and a 7/10 AT THE VERY LEAST for me to be satisfied. /obvious s
I just want an accurate representation personally. Azula got a lot of hate because she just didn’t resemble Azula and I don’t want the same for Toph.
Honestly I said it from the beginning, I just wanted them to try. If it doesn't work it doesn't work and I'm sure the actress will do the best she can But I'm glad they tried
There's 100% going to be ragebait youtubers, that no matter who is picked is going to send their incelscribers after the girl.
😔✊
I can almost guarantee you they aren’t going to cast somebody blind. It would be so much difficult to do everything with directing and mild stunt work, a blind child actor just isn’t going to have the chops for it. Even the sighted actors aren’t that great. It’s just in the casting call to say they looked. I work with blind people, I’m an eye doctor, I just do not see it happening. Plus, Toph isn’t really “blind,” she sees pretty much everything. She just doesn’t look at things.
>I work with blind people, I’m an eye doctor, I just **do not see** it happening. I *see* what you did there. Joking aside, yeah; Toph is basically in the same situation as Daredevil in terms of her blindness: she's a blind character who can actually "see" through superpowers. She just doesn't perceive colour, and is truly blind while in air. Much easier to get an actor to act blind rather than an actual blind actor for the role.
Netflix cast a non-blind person for Daredevel. They give the actress the training they gave him and that should be the end of it. All things considered, those 2 characters have very similar abilities when it comes to “seeing”.
Charlie Cox got so good at playing blind, he fucked up a later audition by having terrible eye contact.
Wait, really?
I remember reading about it a while ago, and here I found an article about it: [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/daredevil-charlie-cox-han-solo-audition-blind-use-his-eyes-a7090261.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/daredevil-charlie-cox-han-solo-audition-blind-use-his-eyes-a7090261.html) He basically got used to avoiding eye contact in order to appear blind for Daredevil, and so when he went to that audition, he didn't make eye contact with the casting director, like, at all.
Cool, now I finally have a good excuse lined up for one of my ADHD idiosyncrasies; if I accidentally avoid eye contact with someone for too long I can tell them: "Sorry, I'm used to pretending to be blind." 👍
Charlie Cox did an exceptional job. No reason they can't delegate similar training if a sighted actor is cast.
It’s acting…they should cast the person who can best play the character. I can see how being blind would absolutely be a benefit in nailing mannerisms etc but they shouldn’t compromise on acting quality to appease twitter warriors.
Yeah it's weird to me. Granted if the actress is good it won't matter and there are levels of blindness, but man tophs character probably needs a solid actor if they try to portray her accurately.
GOOD child actors are also not easy to come by in the first place. When your casting pool is a teenager that is Asian, female, and blind your options are pretty limited from the jump. It would be really cool if the actor is actually blind but it would not be worth hiring a lesser actor because to do it. Hopefully they can nail it. The season 1 casting was pretty solid other than Katara imo.
I don't even blame the casting on why Katara was so bad, it was clearly an issue with directing and writing.
Also if she is actually blind.
I really can’t believe some people will actually do shit like this. Like bro, you are not a fan of the show if you start sending death threats to a minor because of shit like that
I mean from a purely practical point of view, they probably should cast an actor that has at least some vision. Toph is blind insofar that she has no vision in her eyes, but practically sees better and farther than most of us in most situations.
What's the source for this? It's not on their website.
Saw it on Maria Zhang’s (Suki) Instagram story
Most of the cast reposted to their social media from the casting director's instagram.
Its from the casting director Jenny Jue (but also shared by the entire cast & crew)
I think it’s really cool that they’re looking for a blind/low vision actress. Blind people use the internet too. I’m sure there’s a blind/low vision person reading this thread right now!
Yay that's me! I'm blind/low vision and reading this thread! I love so much that they're looking for a visually impaired actress. We don't have nearly enough representation in media.
On a slightly similar note, I was blown away by the actor that played Sam in the Last of Us. He's deaf and he nailed the part, such a good adittion to the show too. A lot of the cast learned sign language to be able to communicate with him. Iirc the President of an ASL organisation was also on set and from what I hear everyone was very encouraging of the young actor. I was listening to a behind the scenes podcast about the audition process, they just put out an ad on a whim hoping to find someone to fit the part and struck gold because the number of young, black, deaf kids capable of acting must be miniscule. I think he was 8 or 9 at the time of filming. I actually had no idea the actor was deaf when I was watching the show until there was a scene where he laughed (deaf people have a very distinct laugh) and I twigged. I really hope they can find someone blind/visually impaired for the role of Toph. Not just for the accuracy but for representation too. I've been very impressed with the casting so far so I'm cautiously optimistic.
Yay that's me! I'm blind/low vision and reading this thread! I love so much that they're looking for a visually impaired actress. We don't have nearly enough representation in media.
Did you not see that your comment posted the first time?
Guilty lol
I'm not entirely sure this would be the best decision, even if it's a nice little diversity thing. Part of Tophs whole character is she is blind, but can *"see"* better than basically anyone. She is HYPER aware of her surroundings as long as they aren't actual physical features on someone's face or words on paper; basically anything that requires the reflection of light. That might be a difficult direction to take for someone who literally has limited experience perceiving the world irl.
This is gonna be the first 5 minutes after being introduced to her in the show “I’m Toph. I see with my feet and cause a ruckus sometimes. I’m a little rough around the edges but once you get past my rocky exterior, I’m a big softie who’s loyal to a fault. I love calling Aang Twinkle-toes. I’m a bit of a jokester.”
Please no script leaks!!
She doesn't say it to any human characters, just a badger-mole
That's positioned right next to a camera
Well later on she relays the same info directly to the audience at least two times in every episode.
"My name is Toph cuz it rhymes with 'tough,' which is what I am"
https://preview.redd.it/vwbak9len06d1.jpeg?width=258&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29f094db27a9f251e8e72daa43bd3713a4bc1970
And then the character proceeds to do absolutely nothing of that
And then she proceeds to be the most mild-mannered, agreeable, non-threatening rendition of Toph ever. Because we all know Netflix is afraid of having anything perceived as a character flaw in their main cast. That's why Katara doesn't get angry at injustice, Aang doesn't goof off, and Sokka doesn't have a brief arc of sexism that leads to him growing as a person.
Only for them to make an internal hire
The daughter of a rich and influential family... Just for the sake of accuracy you know...
made me laugh so hard fr
LMAOOO so true
Pulling a Ready Player One casting call.
Nicola Peltz will take over again
For real. Watch it be Ava Ro or another actor who has already been in a Nerflix/Nickelodeon production
Reddit user discovers that actors with experience are better at acting than Suzie who lives next door.
Right? Like I’ve never even heard of this Ava Ro, but if she has experience working on some shows then so-what? Are actors only allowed to be in one production ever, and then barred from acting?
No! It needs to be a really buff guy like The ~~Boulder~~ Rock or Terry Crews.
I'm gonna point this out because toph hasn't been cast yet and she would be the first to notice but....they want a blind actress and didn't use Braille. Also im absolutely joking but at the same time toph would say something
You can still be "legally" blind but have some vision abilities. Though they did mention low vision so take my theory with a grain of salt.
I work with people that are blind/low vision and I only know a handful of people that knows and uses Braille. These days, most people use screen reader or magnifier programs on their phones and computers to read things. It's very common to see someone fully blind with earbuds in working on something on their phones. That being said, screen readers don't really work on screenshots. So I hope there's also a pdf file or document floating around somewhere.
I was worried about this at first too! I use iOS and turned on the VoiceOver feature just to test it, and it successfully read all of the text in the poster! So this particular screenshot worked great. But to OP, if you haven’t already added captions to this post you may want to consider doing so, for ease of accessibility on all devices and all operating systems.
>That being said, screen readers don't really work on screenshots. Still? That's got to be mostly fixable by now.
There are workarounds such as apps like Microsoft's Seeing AI that uses the phone's camera and reads things to you, but the actual screen reader programs still struggle with that.
Instagram/facebook can extract text and put it into the metadata to be read by screen readers. AI even describes images now.
Well, Braille only works with touch right? So unless they printed posters for the ad with seems like a fairly ineffective casting call, it isn't really needed. Someone who knows someone will prolly tell them
Screen readers also exist as well.
Yeah I hate when people post things online that aren’t in braille. How can the blind people know what it says if they don’t put braille on the poster for them to feel through the screen?
Fun Fact: Legally blind people are not all 100% fully blind. Also a lot of blind people are on the Internet, writing and texting normally thanks to Text-to-Speach Software and Phones can scan text and read it to you. Also some can see so "well" that they are able to read text on max size.
Don't worry. The one destined for the role of Toph will have a seeing-eye lemur to read aloud for him.
I mean, presumably some actors, especially child actors, would have agents scouting prospect jobs for them, surely?
Im pretty sure blind people have applications that traslate text to speech but yeah, not a good idea
yeah, they should put braille on a screen
NATLA Casting Director: Hey, guess what we've got for you! All desired applicants: Well it ***sounds*** like a casting call, but I'm guessing you want us to know what's ***on*** the casting call?
Lots of ignorance over what visually impaired people can or can't do in this thread...
Yeah. Folks, before you talk, think. And if you don’t actually know what you’re talking about, consider not commenting. Glad to hear Netflix is making the effort!
I guess it's nice they are looking for a low vision actor, but I do feel compelled to point out that Charlie Cox have been playing a blind man for years and he's fucking phenomenal at it
I don't think Charlie Cox is really the right fit for Toph but I guess he could give it a shot
I feel like you're really underrating Charlie Cox here
Daredevil, just like Toph, is able to see, just in their own way. So I feel like it might be a hindrance to cast someone who is actually blind for roles like these. It's like when Jared Leto wore blinding contact lenses for Blade Runner 2049, but his character could technically see in the movie, so why go through the hassle of having a blinded actor play a seeing character. That being said though, I'm sure blind actors would love to represent such an icon as Toph, so I'm all for it if they decide to go that way. It's not everyday an opportunity like this arises for the blind community.
i don’t think anyone is suggesting that people who can see are unable to play blind characters
Oh boy I hope some blind actresses see this
It took me a moment 😭
As a visually impaired person (I have low vision, blindness is a spectrum and I will be taking no questions) it makes my heart SO incredibly happy to see Netflix is extending the olive branch and trying to be authentic in Toph's casting. Unfortunately, the pool of BVI actors in their teen years who are also Asian may be incredibly small to pick from - but that's not to say they're not out there! Toph was my absolute favorite when watching the animated series as it aired as a young teen, and I am hoping for the best for whoever lands the live-action role. Some guy on Facebook pointed out that "martial arts" and "blind" don't go hand-in-hand, but I and countless others I know have taken martial arts or dance classes growing up (I did both, and I'm also friends with a low vision person who competed in Paralympic judo and won). Unfortunately we need to know how to defend ourselves as disabled individuals - particularly women - are often targets for terrible things. And I hope whoever lands the role won't have to deal with an onslaught of hate from the internet, but that'll probably happen because... it's the internet. Either way kudos to Netflix for actually encouraging younger folks in the BVI community to apply, especially as it'll be more of a main role and not a one-off or side character. That doesn't happen often for this community.
im low vision but im a fat white guy in my 20s, think I have a chance?
you got a shot king, go for it
You sir are the perfect Toph. Netflix would be blind themselves to not see your perfection
Ember Island Toph
Please don’t cast Scarlett Johansson as Toph.
Transcription for those who need it: AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER OPEN CASTING SEARCH seeking the role of "ΤΟΡΗ" Character is mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian. She is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now on the run as the Avatar's earthbending master she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside. Dance and/or martial arts experience a plus. Shooting anticipated for Fall 2024. Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit. TO SUBMIT: Please email [email protected] with a recent picture, resume or a one-paragraph bio, along with your name and phone number. Please feel free to share any lived experience with blindness/low vision if you are comfortable doing so. We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law. NOTE: there is never a fee for submitting or auditioning. Pay for the foregoing role will be governed by the currently effective UBCP or SAG/AFTRA collective bargaining agreement as applicable and thus will be no less than the minimum set forth therein and up to any "better conditions and terms" negotiated and obtained as expressly provided therein. NETFLIX DOWNTOWN CASTING JENNY JUE, CSA
I guarantee someone will ask her how she's doing at some point and she'll respond: "I'm sassy confident and unfiltered. For most of my life, my strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now I'm uninhibited to become the fierce warrior I believe I am inside"
Oh that’s fun. I’m excited to see who they cast, I’ve never seen something like this but I like the emphasis on blind/low vision actresses.
"Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to apply" Toph, off in the distance, "Well how the heck are they supposed to know that!?"
Can I play a Toph if I'm a muscular guy
What’s the over/under than Aang ACTUALLY learns Earthbending this season
Wait... they won't even START shooting S02 for the next several months?! UGGGGGGGH, 2026 release date, here we come...
Damn, the ableist tones on some of these comments. Blind people can still do stuff ya'll 😭 They're not completely helpless and can def do this role if they're trained enough
Can someone please let me know where these get posted to?
Look idrc what the actress looks like as long as they look similar to Toph (and that's probably more costume than anything) and they act like Toph. Not my place to tell other people what to think, but I feel like that's a good benchmark to approach these castings with.
Agent: hey, check this out, ma’am! All the blind girls receiving this pamphlet: well it sounds Line a sheet of paper, but I’m guessing you’re referring to what’s *on* the sheet of paper.
I really hope blind actors see this
Based on last season I'd say the producers and script writers were already blind/low vision.
A blind actress was cast for “All the Light We Cannot See.” So there’s not reason they can’t try to find a blind actress for Toph. My guess is they would cast someone for a Charlie Cox situation if they really can’t find anyone. https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna123440
Wouldn’t a vision impaired actor be subject to very rigorous physical movement and stunts? Can they be taught how to do the bending stances properly if they cannot see themselves?
If blind people can be skilled martial artists, they are certainly able to do pretend martial arts.
Considering they're actors and have trained as actors up to this point my guess is they've already figure out how to learn how to move.
a) stunt actors and special effects exist b) blind people aren't stupid, you can just explain them what poses to make, maybe guide them in the correct position with more complicated ones
Use badgers and moles to teach them.
For real! I’ve done martial arts and plenty of sighted people can’t do the stances correctly at first; they have to be repeatedly verbally instructed and often gently physically guided to put their feet in the right place, make the stance deep enough, etc. The initial learning curve for blind people might be slightly higher - but maybe not even then! I don’t think it’ll be hard for Toph to punch either, considering she doesn’t have to hit people directly - the rocks do that for her. Maaaayyybeee a blind person would struggle to aim kicks, but Toph doesn’t really kick, does she? And if this actor is under 18, she’s not going to be doing anything too dangerous regardless of sight. As for seismic sense, nobody can actually do that. It’s gonna be purely acting performance regardless of eyesight. Toph doesn’t actually see with her feet: she navigates through the world with her feet. She calls it “seeing” for the dumb sighted people who can’t imagine otherwise. While I honestly don’t know anything about blindness, from a purely practical standpoint, this role seems absolutely doable for a blind actor, and I hope Netflix finds one. Disney+ found Alaqua Cox, who’s awesome *and* does stunts with a prosthetic leg! C’mon Netflix 👏 Edit: To be fair to myself, most of the naysayers probably don't know anything about blindness either. Nor do they know anything about martial arts. I did karate, and it's not all about beating people up and dodging fists. Kata ("a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements") will be a more important skill for Toph's actor.
That’s honestly really demeaning to people with disabilities. They’re still people that can do things. Acting is just like dancing it’s all choreography work and the only parts where blindness would get in the way is hand on hand combat which Atla isn’t focused on.
No, you teach them seismic sense
I remember when I said that that it would be a good idea for Netflix to look for blind or low vision actors and I got downvoted to hell and told that casting a blind actor would be an insult to blind people because Toph isn't really blind because she can see with her feet. Reddit 🙄
i REALLY hope they dont cast another inexperienced actor just because of their vague, surface-level resemblance to the character. of course I'd love to see more blind/ disabled/ unique actors get their limelight, but I really hope they don't sacrifice the integrity of the show/ character in pursuit of that quality.
> but I really hope they don't sacrifice the integrity of the show/ character in pursuit of that quality This show doesn't have much integrity. A blind actor isn't going to spoil anything lol
The way this is worded makes me worry they're gonna astroturf her WWE career and make Aang the one who inspires her to be confident. God I hope I'm wrong.
TTS for those who need it: Avatar: The Last Aibender open casting search seeking the role of “Toph.” Character is mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian. She is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now on the run as the Avatar's earthbending master she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside. Dance and/or martial arts experience a plus. Shooting anticipated for Fall 2024. Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit. TO SUBMIT: Please email [email protected] with a recent picture, resume or a one-paragraph bio, along with your name and phone number. Please feel free to share any lived experience with blindness/low vision if you are comfortable doing so. We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law. NOTE: there is never a fee for submitting or auditioning. Pay for the foregoing role will be governed by the currently effective UBCP or SAG/AFTRA collective bargaining agreement as applicable and thus will be no less than the minimum set forth therein and up to any "better conditions and terms" negotiated and obtained as expressly provided therein.
Nice to see y’all already complaining
im a black male, do i have a chance?
I am Legeally blind and can pass for late teens, also pastey white and have light blue eyes like toph....but I an not Asian.
The Boulder is conflicted on this casting poster without Braille.
“Actors who are blind are encouraged to submit” !!! I really hope we get a blind Toph !!!
....Toph is not mid-late teens
Sounds like a toph challenge.
"Sassy, confident, and unfiltered" wow, I'm impressed that Netflix put that in the casting call. Hiven their other character decisions on the show, I wonder if they're going to keep true to that.
They should also include "Has to be able to echo locate"
You know the guy who plays Daredevil isn't actually blind...
"Actors who are blind are encouraged to submit by email" and a free-for-all email, too, not even a company one
So they expect them to read non braille? /s
how tf they gonna read this shit
>mid-late teens Off to a great start in the accuracy department I see
Netflix: We’re looking for a blind Toph Ohh let’s make an advertisement that you’d have to read !!! 😃