[Adapted from my interview with Amanda Zhou for United By Rice]
For Amanda Zhou, the journey to Ba Sing Se began long before she ever stepped onto one of Netflix’s largest soundstages. Before pursuing acting, Zhou spent years as a competitive figure skater, learning to tell stories through movement while developing the discipline and resilience that would later serve her well in an industry built on perseverance. Combined with the influence of her grandmother, a celebrated singer and actress during Shanghai’s jazz era, and the inspiration she found watching performers like Lucy Liu, Zhou discovered a path that felt both unexpected and deeply personal.
“I always loved skating to music and telling stories through movement,” Zhou told Awards Focus. “Even when I was competing, my strength wasn’t really the technical side. It was the artistry.” Looking back, she sees acting as a natural continuation of that creative journey. “I didn’t set out thinking I’d follow that path, but I found my way back to that artistic lineage.”
That journey has led Zhou to one of the year’s biggest streaming hits. Season 2 of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” now streaming on Netflix, expands the beloved fantasy epic as Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), and their allies venture into the sprawling Earth Kingdom on their way toward confronting the Fire Nation. Along the way, the series introduces several fan-favorite characters from the original animated series while continuing to build the political intrigue surrounding the seemingly idyllic city of Ba Sing Se.
Among those new additions is Joo Dee, Ba Sing Se’s endlessly cheerful tour guide whose welcoming smile conceals one of the season’s darkest storylines. As Team Avatar begins uncovering the city’s unsettling secrets, Joo Dee emerges as both the friendly face of Ba Sing Se and a haunting reminder of the powerful forces manipulating life within its walls. It proved to be one of the season’s most memorable supporting turns, transforming a familiar animated character into someone distinctly human.
For Zhou, bringing such an iconic animated character into live action meant honoring what audiences already loved while discovering something uniquely her own. “I didn’t want to lose her essence, but I also wanted it to feel authentic,” she said. “I wanted to simply be her.”
Awards Focus recently spoke with Zhou about transitioning from competitive figure skating to acting, landing the role through a secretive audition process, finding Joo Dee’s humanity beneath her unsettling smile, filming one of the season’s most emotionally demanding sequences, and joining one of television’s most passionate fandoms.
Awards Focus: Hi Amanda. Congratulations on joining such an iconic franchise. I’d love to start by learning more about your journey. How did you discover acting, and when did you realize this was what you wanted to do?
Amanda Zhou: First of all, thanks for having me, Ben. I’ve been looking forward to talking with you.
I used to be a figure skater, and I always loved skating to music and telling stories through movement. Even when I was competing, my strength wasn’t really the technical side. It was the artistry. My scores were always higher in that category.
One of my drama teachers in high school really opened my eyes to what acting could be. Before Grade 12 drama, I thought it was mostly games. Then we started seeing plays, writing analyses, creating our own skits, and putting them on. I remember thinking, “Wow, there’s this whole world.” That led me to theater school, and everything unfolded from there.
It also made sense in a way because my grandmother was a famous singer and actress during the jazz era in Shanghai. I didn’t set out thinking I’d follow that path, but I found my way back to that artistic lineage, which is really cool.
AF: You mentioned figure skating, and one thing that’s always fascinated me is the mental side of that sport. Did growing up in that environment help prepare you for acting, particularly when it comes to auditions and handling rejection?
Zhou: I don’t know if it made me more prepared than most, but it absolutely helped my acting career. Figure skating teaches you discipline and thick skin through extremely rigorous training. I don’t know if it’s the healthiest environment mentally when you’re that young, but one thing I do take away from it is learning what it means to lose and what it means to have humility.
Bringing that into acting, I’ve also had to unlearn some of it because figure skating is about competing against someone else. Acting is different. There’s an art and soulfulness to it where there’s room for all of us. That’s the biggest separation.
It has definitely helped me, especially when things get tough. I’ve heard of actors giving up because this career is an endurance. One thing I always say is that acting, painting, pottery, and other creative pursuits are artistic sports. People only see the finished product. They don’t see all the work that goes into it. In that sense, there’s an athleticism to it.
AF: You mentioned your grandmother earlier. Growing up, were you able to see any archival footage of her performances?
Zhou: Yeah. My parents shared footage of her with my sister and me when we were growing up. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, but I remember seeing this incredible artist who could sing. Back then, I don’t think I fully appreciated it. As I got older, I realized how much heart she had and everything she did for so many people. That’s really special.
AF: Were there other performers whose careers inspired you as you were finding your own path?
Zhou: I have to say my grandmother.
Growing up, I also watched “Kill Bill,” and seeing Lucy Liu on screen was incredible. I remember thinking, “My God, I’m seeing someone who looks like me, and she’s absolutely killing it.” As a former figure skater, watching the way she moved, especially during the martial arts sequences, really spoke to me. She’s definitely one of the people I admire.
AF: Something I noticed looking through your credits is that, much like Lucy Liu, your roles haven’t been defined by your ethnicity. Outside of “Avatar,” you’ve worked on projects where your background isn’t necessarily central to the character. Has that simply reflected the industry’s evolution over the past several years?
Zhou: It wasn’t intentional. That’s just how the auditions happened. Sometimes they’re looking specifically for an Asian actor, and I’ve auditioned for those roles. Other times they’re open ethnicity, and I’ve been fortunate enough to book those.
I’ve definitely seen a change over the last 10 or 20 years. I think the industry is moving toward a place where we don’t have to make it so precious. It just is, which is really cool.
AF: Let’s talk about “Avatar.” How did you land the role? Did you have to audition?
Zhou: Yes, I auditioned for it. Everything was under an undercover name with undercover characters, so I wasn’t sure what it was for. But the role spoke to me. I thought it was really interesting, and I felt like there was a little more than met the eye. Then I found out it was for “Avatar,” and I did a little more digging. Even from reading the material, I thought, “I think I know who this is.” That was really special. At the same time, I had to check myself because I didn’t want to get overly excited and then bomb the audition.
AF: Walk me through that process. It starts as essentially a blind audition, but at some point you realized it was “Avatar.” When did that happen?
Zhou: It was before my first audition. My team knew, or I think word had started going around. My agent told me what it was for after I received the first email. Once I knew it was “Avatar,” that changed my homework a little bit. I wanted to dig deeper and figure out where I was going with the character. By the time I went into the audition, I knew it was for Joo Dee.
Then I had a second audition with the creators and directors, which was a little overwhelming. It was over Zoom, and there were so many people on the call. It almost felt like a conference. I had to remind myself to stay calm because it was definitely nerve wracking, but it was also a lot of fun.
AF: Zoom auditions and self tapes have become the norm. Do you approach a Zoom audition differently than an in-person one?
Zhou: In person, you don’t have to worry about the lights and all of that. As long as you have a good ring light or a box light, you’re good to go. It’s really about getting into the rhythm of doing those technical things, like compressing videos yourself and getting used to that workflow. There’s a small learning curve, but once you get past it, I actually think it’s more efficient because you can do more auditions without exhausting yourself from all the travel.
AF: “Avatar” has one of the most passionate fan bases in television. What do you remember about the first time you stepped onto the Ba Sing Se set?
Zhou: I definitely had a pinch me moment. It started with putting on the costume, the headpiece, and the makeup. You begin to feel the character coming together. Then you walk onto the set of Ba Sing Se’s Lower Ring Market, and it completely transports you.
You become this character and bring the scene to life. It’s hard to separate any one part of the experience because it all works together. Suddenly you’re in this huge world, and it takes you back to what that era could have been like. My mind was blown.
AF: Now that the season is out, what’s it been like seeing the reaction from fans, especially knowing how beloved Joo Dee already was from the animated series?
Zhou: I’ve definitely seen some of the comments, and everyone has been so supportive. It’s been really lovely. When you have the responsibility of bringing a character to life who already has a fan base and is so loved, there is that pressure. You wonder, “Am I honoring her? Am I doing a good job? How are fans going to receive it?”
To read the feedback I’ve been seeing has been really heartwarming and reassuring. It’s been lovely.
AF: Joo Dee is such a fascinating character because, on the surface, she’s warm, welcoming, and eager to show visitors around Ba Sing Se. As the story unfolds, though, the audience realizes she’s operating under forces much larger than herself. How did you find the balance between those two sides of the character?
Zhou: I think once I found her voice within me, the physicality naturally came. I was also able to work with Sarah Arrington, our acting coach on set. Everyone is so busy, so it was really helpful to have someone I could talk to whenever I had questions or was overthinking something.
Finding her physicality came naturally after that, but I think the smile was the hardest part because it would’ve been easy to overthink it or simply copy the animation. I didn’t want to lose her essence, but I also wanted it to feel authentic so I wouldn’t have to second guess anything I was doing. I wanted to simply be her.
Once I understood her more and discovered who she was, I realized that, yes, she might seem a little sinister, but there’s also a naivety and innocence to her.
In another interview, someone asked what we really get to see from Joo Dee, and I said we get to see how much she loves Ba Sing Se. I meant that because she, along with the other Joo Dees, represents Ba Sing Se. They’re the tour guides. They’re showing people how wonderful their home is. That hospitality is a big responsibility.
She wants to do a good job because, if she doesn’t, there’s shame in that. I think that reflects Asian culture in some ways. You could call her sinister, but I think she simply doesn’t know anything else. She just really loves her home.
AF: The brainwashing sequence has become one of the most talked-about scenes of the season. What was it like filming something that emotionally demanding?
Zhou: It was definitely an endurance physically because I had to constantly go there emotionally and then snap out of it.
A lot of my acting training really helped because you learn to draw from vulnerable places within yourself without taking it too seriously. It was also cathartic because you get to show sides of yourself that are scary and vulnerable without having to explain where they’re coming from.
I had a wonderful scene partner who was very generous. Hero, the director of that episode, is an actor’s director. She understood how intimate that scene was. Some scenes you can approach more broadly, but this one required a different level of intimacy.
She would come over and speak to me quietly between takes. She knew how to approach it in a very personal way, and it was a wonderful experience.
AF: Joo Dee was already an iconic character from the animated series, thanks in part to Lauren Tom’s performance. How much guidance did the creative team give you about honoring the original while still making the character your own?
Zhou: I think that’s what’s so cool about this live action adaptation. They gave us the agency to make the characters our own while still focusing on the important details.
If you drifted too far, they’d remind you, “In the animation, she’s kind of like this,” and they’d even draw little examples. But then they trusted us as actors to find the character ourselves.
They never breathed down our necks. They trusted us to bring our own work to the role, and I think that’s what made it so special. This is a live adaptation where everything is much more visceral. Some of the stylized mannerisms from animation just aren’t authentic in live action.
Having that guidance while still being trusted to bring my own interpretation was really special. Everyone in the cast had something unique to bring, and the creative team highlighted everyone’s strengths. I’m so proud and grateful to be part of this team, not just because of the franchise, but because I had the opportunity to play Joo Dee. That’s something I’ll carry with me in my heart.
AF: The rest of the cast had already been together for a few years by the time you joined in Season 2. What was it like walking into an established ensemble?
Zhou: They were so lovely. I keep saying that, and I need to find more adjectives, but they really were. They’re sweet, they’re welcoming, they’re focused on the work, and they care about the work.
Some of them are balancing school at the same time, so they’re incredibly busy. To still put so much heart into what they do and stay on top of everything is no small feat.
They were so welcoming, even when I saw them again at the premiere. They’re wonderful people and such great leaders.
AF: Before we wrap up, let’s end on a fun one. If you could play any other character in the “Avatar” universe besides Joo Dee, who would it be?
Zhou: I really love Suki’s character. I’m also a fan of Maria [Zhang]. I haven’t had the chance to meet her yet, but I think she’s so elegant and amazing.
I’d probably choose Suki. Or, if not, I’d be the female version of Sokka because he’s just so funny.
AF: Amanda, congratulations again on joining “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you.
Zhou: Thanks, Ben. Likewise. It was so nice meeting you.