Actor Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi spoke with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about Season 2 of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” on Netflix.
Experience in Season 2 of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
On his experience in Season 2 of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” he said, “It has been earth-shattering. Everything was nothing short of wonderful. I was in between a few projects at the time, and I was worried about not being present enough whenever I’d arrive from being in and out so much. Thankfully everyone was so welcoming and would check in on you. It was a village of artists who were openly collaborative and deeply hardworking.”
“Oftentimes on large shows things can be very surgical creatively, but this was the opposite, they were open to so many ideas. What they had going on there was so cohesive. Also the FOOD. I had some great hotpot dinners with the cast. Vancouver is stacked with great cuisine,” he said.
On playing his character, he said, “Being one of the rare people who speaks up in Ba Sing Se. Everyone is silenced, so he takes it into his own hands. When he goes undercover to spy on Aang, that was my favourite part.”
Daily motivations as an actor
On his daily motivations as an actor, he said, “To escape my mundane life. Jokes aside, the storytelling is everything. You grow up watching incredible movies, plays, they alter your brain chemistry completely — like watching Heath Ledger in ‘The Dark Knight.’ You watch in awe of him telling the difficult rare angle of the villain, and only dream of sharing a story as impactful and landing like his. Getting to tell a story and having it move the audience in whichever way it may be, is one of the most profound things as an actor.”
‘Shōgun’
On the lessons learned from “Shōgun,” he reflected, “It taught me how to perform on a pretty large stage. Being on a set that sprawled an entire mountain in Vancouver, everything on set is also massive – the set design, the number of crew, equipment, everything. The scale was humongous. You feel like an ant in the big picture. But the right team was on that production, and they taught me how to navigate staying present and staying cool when everything is on such a humongous scale. Shogun also introduced me to Kenjutsu, I’m forever thankful for that.”
Future plans
Regarding his future plans, he shared, “Simply said, living. Whatever happens with my career, I want to live a good life outside of it. Balance is everything. So I’m hoping to travel Europe soon, just a backpack and myself. Lose myself in whatever country, ride the train to Italy. Enjoy some good Brunello. I really want to check out Sicily too.”
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and emerging actors, he said, “Always have fun. This industry can feel stressful at times, but it shouldn’t be. Yes, we are trying to deliver the best performance, and that takes hard work and sometimes being hard on yourself – but you should see it as a dance. The best athletes in the world are so fun to watch from how playful they are. Keep it light.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, he said, “Getting to do it. For me, making the final cut of a film or show is an added treat. The more important thing is when you are doing it in real time. Working with everyone else collaboratively and performing. We audition to be on set. Not for the money, or to picture yourself on your TV screen.”
“I had a few scenes cut out from ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ and I’m not upset about it. People are asking me why? For me getting to have done it was the best part of it all. We still filmed those scenes, we blocked it out, rehearsed it, experimented with different styles and we had great fun doing it. That to me is success,” he elaborated.
Closing thoughts on Season 2
He remarked, “Season 2 feels very relatable to many of our situations right now. It’s a tough world at the moment. Ba Sing Se feels reflective of what’s happening in our cities. There’s turmoil, struggle, hardship overall, but there’s also so many victories and love when we try.”
“Everyone in the City of Walls and Secrets is all trying to make a life for themselves. So what I hope people get out of it is – fight for what you feel is right. Enjoy the incredible stunts throughout the season too,” he concluded.
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