Since it aired in 2005 on Nickelodeon, the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender has become a pop culture force, especially to a generation that first tuned in to the show.
After its 2010 film adaptation received lukewarm reviews from both critics and audiences, Netflix has once again taken the series for a live-action spin. And this time around, leading its cast is none other than Filipino-Canadian actor Gordon Cormier.
The child actor, who portrays the titular last airbender Aang, makes his debut as a lead star in the much-talked-about live-action series. Ahead, get to know more about Gordon Cormier in our quick fact sheet!
1. Gordon Cormier was only 11 when he was cast in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
The actor was born on October 8, 2009, making him a young Libra. During the time of the cast announcement in 2021, Gordon was only 11 years old!
2. Gordon Cormier is half-Filipino.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Gordon comes from a Filipino and Canadian lineage. His Filipina mother Genalyn comes from Laguna, while his father Gordon Porter is of Canadian and European descent.
When talking about his Filipino roots, Gordon was all smiles. “I have such a supportive country on my back! First time, my mom showed me a video on MGM, it’s a Filipino channel. I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s me!’” he said. “And they said, ‘First Filipino actor to book [the] lead!’ I thought that was amazing and I just love the Philippines, too. It’s my home!”
3. Gordon Cormier made his acting debut in 2019.
The young actor had his first foray on the small screen in the 2019 American comedy series Get Shorty. Gordon appeared in the first episode of Season 3 titled What To Do When You Land, where he starred alongside comedians Chris O’Dowd and Ray Romano.
During the same year, Gordon also appeared in several other productions, including the Hallmark movie A Christmas Miracle, and the sci-fi series Lost in Space, which, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, also streamed on Netflix.
4. Gordon Cormier starred in a Stephen King adaptation.
After his debut the year prior, Gordon already bagged a recurring role in another project. This happened to be The Stand, a post-apocalyptic fantasy adapted from the 1978 novel by esteemed horror author Stephen King. In the show that centered on a pandemic, Gordon portrayed Joe, a character who appeared for eight episodes.
5. Gordon Cormier was trained in taekwondo at a young age.
Given that Avatar: The Last Airbender is heavily influenced by real-world martial arts, it isn’t a surprise that Gordon himself has a background on the sport and craft. On an Instagram post, it was revealed that the child actor got into taekwondo at a very young age–four years old, to be exact!
6. Gordon Cormier loves skateboarding.
Aside from taekwondo, Gordon prides himself as a true-blue skateboarder. The actor, who brandishes the label “skater” on his Instagram bio, was said to frequent local skate parks and was fully immersed in the subculture before the pandemic.
7. Gordon Cormier returned to the Philippines in 2024.
Gordon went back to his roots in the Philippines for the local Netflix press tour for Avatar: The Last Airbender, alongside his co-star Dallas Liu, who plays the antagonist Prince Zuko. During their visit, Gordon revealed that he last visited the country for family reunions at seven years old, which was halted due to the pandemic’s travel restrictions.
Other than his official schedule, Gordon revealed that he even had a sleepover with his grandmother and the rest of his relatives in Taguig. “They actually came here for the night and stayed in the hotel, and it was really nice,” he said.
8. Gordon Cormier watched the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series 35 times to prepare for the role.
The original 2005 animated Avatar: The Last Airbender series first aired before Gordon was born, but the young actor made sure to pack enough research for the hefty lead role. During the press conference with Dallas in Bonifacio Global City, Gordon revealed that he had watched the series 35 times to prepare for his role as Aang. When he received the news of him bagging the role, Gordon recalled that there were “a lot of tears, a lot of crying, a lot of emotional words.” Aww!
9. Gordon Cormier wanted to explore Aang’s character deeper as an actor.
With the rich source material, the new live-action medium provides plenty of room to explore when it comes to storylines and characters. For Aang’s case, Gordon hoped to delve into the more emotional aspects of the 12-year-old chosen one.
“When I did this character, I mainly wanted to focus on keeping Aang’s joy, happiness, and 12-year-old spirit in general,” he told Deadline. “I feel like now that this is in live-action, I feel we can dive deeper into Aang’s emotional side because there was a genocide. All of Aang’s family and friends died, so we can visit more of the darker parts.”
10. You can follow Gordon Cormier on Instagram.
Get updated on Gordon’s rise to fame through his Instagram page!
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