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For Kiawentiio, playing Katara is deeply connected to where she comes from. Family, community, and the feeling of being shaped by a close-knit village all inform the way she approaches the beloved waterbender. As Avatar: The Last Airbender continues, Kiawentiio reflects on the lessons that keep her grounded, the parts of Katara she sees in herself, and the kind of representation she hopes to see more of on screen.
Editor-in-Chief Kelly Mi Li @kellymili
Photography Steve Limones @stevelimonesphotography
Fashion Director Benjamin Holtrop @benjaminholtrop
Creative Direction Aleksandar Tomovic @alekandsteph
Movement Director James Burke @jameslukeburke
Video Alberto Gonzales @alberto_filmdirector
Photography Assistant Nick Ahmet @nick_amet
Fashion Styling Assistants Emily K.E. Johnson @emilykejohnson & Welsh @awelch.ingram
Social Media Tesia Kuh @thefirstthree.co
Production Assistants Lizzie Mansour & Aisha Dandia
Location The London Hotel West Hollywood @thelondonweho
Special Thanks to Mei Coble & Netflix
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What is something your family taught you that continues to guide you?
My dad always says, “You are always where you are supposed to be.” He loves to say that to me, and I love to go back to that and count on that, because I believe it.
Family as a whole has taught me to stay grounded. My family is what grounds me.
Do any of the lessons you were taught at a young age guide how you play Katara?
Totally. I think everything that I have learned and taken from where I come from, and from my family, has embedded itself in me.
I feel like I take that wherever I go and with whoever I play. Katara being in a similar situation to me when I first came into the show, and just who I am, really connected those parts of her to me personally.
Can you tell me more about the similarities you see between yourself and Katara?
She comes from a pretty sheltered place, even though they have gone through so much. She has her brother and her grandma, and this tight-knit village that she grew up in.
I come from a really similar situation, where everybody knows everybody. I am fortunate enough to have a huge family, so that is also part of my village.
Which one of Katara’s qualities do you connect with the most?
Probably the sibling dynamic between her and Sokka.
When you think about representation in film and television, what kind of stories would you love to see more of in the future?
I would love to see more people of color, and more women of color, in stories that are not about the fact that they are from somewhere different or look a different kind of way.
I would love to continue seeing people of color just being the main character because they were the best person to audition.
What superpower from the show would be the most useful in real life?
Maybe earthbending. It could be like a self-transportation kind of thing. The way someone can travel from one side to another, almost like skating, could be fun. Or going up a wall and just lifting yourself up.
Which castmate is most likely to prank someone on set?
Ian. Unanimously.
Who is most like their character in real life?
Ian.
Who is the most gullible?
Gordon.
Who is the most competitive?
It might be me. I hate that I can be so competitive, and I actively fight against it. I fight against my own instincts to be competitive because I grew up in such a competitive family, and it always killed me. So I actively try to fight it, but it is there strong.
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