Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
North by Northwestern participated in a conference call with Jackson Rathbone, who plays Sokka in The Last Airbender. Rathbone discusses the original cartoon series, his preparation for the role and dynamic on set.
How did you prepare for this role?
There were about two months of kung fu training in Los Angeles, which was a blast. I’d go for about three hours a day and go through the rundown of kung fu and its various styles. Then we had two weeks of rehearsals in Philadelphia where we ran through the scenes and had the big read-through and everything.
While shooting this movie, what sort of things did you do in your off time?
When I was shooting The Last Airbender, I was also performing with my band — 100 Monkeys — as well as starting to produce a film with band mate Jerad Anderson. So I don’t really tend to have much off time.
Once you got cast in this movie, did you go back and watch the original cartoon series?
I think I actually watched more of the original show during the auditioning process than I did during the actual run of the film.
I wanted to step away from it a bit and make it as natural and as realistic as possible. That’s one of the difficulties in bringing an animated TV show to life in a two-hour movie — you’re condensing 16 hours to be put into a two-hour film. I’ve always been a fan of the show and all my friends were excited as all hell when they heard I was going to be playing the character.
The tone of the movie is more serious than the cartoon, but did you feel like you still had a chance to lighten the mood with some comedy?
I think a lot of the comedic aspects of the television show are within the relationships of the characters. [The film] is more serious … In a realistic setting, it was necessary to bring it down and ground all the characters a little bit. But still, there’s definitely moments where we seed the comedic side of Sokka.
What can viewers expect from this movie? Does it cover all the books?
It covers book one of the series. I think M. Night did an amazing job of being able to bring 16 hours of television programming to a screenplay. But it’s one of those things where you lose a little bit here and there in order to make everything else greater in the longer scheme.
What was it like working alongside Noah Ringer (who plays Aang in The Last Airbender)?
It’s an amazing experience to be acting with child actors. It’s interesting. They have a certain sense to them that is just completely natural. It was just amazing to watch him grow as an actor and performer over the course of the film.
Did you have to cater to Ringer’s acting or complement what he did?
You have to work together [...] At the end of the day it’s all about two people relating. And if you don’t relate to whoever your costar is then I don’t think you’re doing the characters justice. So no, it wasn’t about catering to either of us individually. I think it was just about creating the reality of a relationship between the characters.
Why should college-aged students spend their money to see this film?
A lot of my college friends were watching Avatar: The Last Airbender when it was on Nickelodeon [...] It was one of their favorite shows when they were little [...] But at the end of the day it’s a story and subject matter that appeals to everyone. It’s about being a hero and discovering yourself, and it’s almost a coming-of-age story set in this amped up action world.
If you were able to bend one of the elements, which would it be and why?
I think it might have to be water. I’ve always been a fan of Bruce Lee and in [his book], The Artist of Life, he talks about trying to be like water and what that means if you get two bricks going head-on. There’s going to be a collision and a breaking point. But if you accept a brick as water, there’s a ripple and then it’s gone.
Could you describe the dynamic on set and how the overall experience was for you?
It was a pleasure and joy. First off, I got to do a lot of kung fu and martial arts training with some incredible stuntmen and women, just some of the most sweetest and talented people I’ve met. We actually filmed the first two weeks in Greenland, which was extremely cool. I don’t think I’d have any other reason to go there except for filming a movie. And that was just an incredible experience.
It was like a big family. M. Night likes to have the same people and crew in all of his films which is really nice, and it creates this family element. While you’re filming, it’s not a chore — it’s not like you’re working — it’s like playtime. It’s an amazing thing.