Key Takeaways
- Actress Miya Cech cast as Toph Beifong in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
- Although she portrays a blind character, she is not blind in real life.
- To prepare for the role, she has worked closely with consultants from the blind community.
Miya Cech, an American-Japanese actress, has been cast as Toph Beifong, a blind earth bender, in the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite this role, Miya Cech is not blind in real life.
This casting choice has led to some confusion and questions among viewers about whether Cech might have a vision impairment, but she is fully sighted​.
Cech’s character, Toph Beifong, is a beloved figure from the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series.
Toph was born blind but developed exceptional earth-bending skills.
She uses a unique technique called seismic sense, which allows her to perceive her environment by sensing vibrations through the ground. This essentially enables her to “see” without sight​.
Miya Cech has been working closely with consultants from the blind community to prepare for the role.
These professionals help her understand the nuances of blindness, ensuring that her portrayal of Toph is respectful and authentic.
Moreover, her dedication to learning about the lived experiences of blind individuals demonstrates her commitment to the role​.
One of the strengths of Cech’s portrayal lies in her ability to balance Toph’s complex personality traits – she is stubborn, sarcastic, and independent but also vulnerable.
Toph’s qualities have made her a fan-favorite character, and audiences have praised Cech’s performance for effectively capturing these layers.
The show’s producers were impressed by how well she embodied Toph’s humor, strength, and emotional depth.
Miya Cech, who was not blind at birth, skillfully embraces the role of Toph, a blind character, in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Adopted At Birth: Miya Cech’s Role As An Advocate For Adoption Awareness
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Miya Cech is a 17-year-old actress who was adopted five weeks after her birth and grew up in Davis, Northern California. She said:
When I was younger, being adopted seemed normal to me. Half of my family’s Japanese on my mom’s side, so we celebrate Japanese holidays. And we celebrate each other’s cultures.
Via spot
She is the third in a family of four children adopted from Japan and Kazakhstan.
Currently, Miya uses her platform to raise awareness about the domestic and international adoption process.
She wants to make discussions about adoption more comfortable for children in the system, helping them share their experiences.
Miya is also active in supporting the Asian community, particularly through the Asian American Girl Club, as well as the adoption community, which is important to her because of her own background. She said:
I wanted to be a part of it because I want to be able to be a role model for Asian-American girls and everybody really. I’m using my voice to inspire people, I’m using my voice to be other people’s voice and reach the hearts of people. It’s really just about girl power and Asian-American power and Asian-American girl power and I’ve be able to meet so many people through that agency, not only Asian-American people but adopted Asian-American people which is huge for me because I’m adopted and a lot of people in my family are too. Getting to talk to those people and share similarities, share differences and stories is really big.
Via 1883magazine
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Miya Cech, born on March 4, 2007, started her career as a child model, working with brands like Gap, Ralph Lauren, Skechers, and Gymboree.
- Her acting career began in 2015 when she played the younger Kono Kalakaua, a character portrayed by Grace Park, in “Hawaii Five-0.”
- She made her first appearance in the film “The Darkest Minds” in 2018.
