How Oona Chaplin Became Leader Of The Ash People In ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’

Oona Chaplin, most known for playing Talisa Maegyr in Game of Thrones, reportedly beat out multiple other star level actresses for the role of Varang. She will be the leader of the Ash People in the 3rd Avatar film and according to the Hollywood Reporter, Chaplin was living in a self-made tree house in Cuba when she got the call from James Cameron.  

Chaplin indicated that a call from the legendary director was one of the few things that would’ve gotten her up and out of the Cuban jungle for a meeting. She had a lot to say about looking up to Cameron and the work he has done.

It was one of the most surreal moments of my life… He’s one of my heroes — Aliens! Terminator! Titanic! I was very starstruck. But very quickly he very much put me at ease because he just felt like a kid that wants to play. We did a scene, and he was all involved and engaged. He put his full body into it.

The pair connected beyond just the nature and humanity of Pandora, but also discussed real world topics like soil permaculture. Cameron was said to be captivated by Chaplin, knowing almost immediately that she was the perfect choice for the role.

There were three other actresses up for the part that I had wanted to work with… They were movie stars. They were fantastic. But there was something [Chaplin] just locked into. There’s a sexuality; there’s a dominating psychology, and there’s a lot of fury. There are a lot of layers to what she’s doing there and the forces that are driving her. Oona was able to move fluidly back and forth between those in a way that I wasn’t seeing with the others.

Chaplin was caught off guard with Cameron’s directing style and how engaged he was with the day to day motion capture.  “He is so physically and psychologically and spiritually invested in every moment of every scene.” The constant hands on discussions and interactions allowed the proper time for Cameron, the cast, and the crew to truly zero in on the heart of the scenes they were filming. Chaplin’s first time seeing her performance on the big screen allowed her the opportunity to appreciate how true to life and true to her Varang was even under the digital makeup. The granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin says her experience on Fire and Ash reignited her passion to start taking more roles after dedicating some time to being a mother.

Avatar: Fire and Ash goes wide in theaters this Friday. Be sure to stay tuned into MXDWN as we continue to cover the world of Pandora through the films release.