Singaporean actor Lim Kay Siu chatted about starring as Gyatso in “Avatar: The last Airbender” on Netflix.
‘Avatar: The last Airbender’ on Netflix
On his experience in the new live action series on Netflix, he said, “Acting with Gordon Cormier has been an inspiring and humbling experience at the same time! He is gifted, spirited, smart and generous. Just like Aang.”
“Also, the studio in which we shot the Air Temple scenes, left me with my jaw agape. Not the green screens I was expecting, but projections on panels – and I could see the clouds moving, and the birds flying! It was stunning,” he said.
“It has been an adventure, my first filming ever in North America, and therefore, a huge learning curve, and most of all, such an unexpected dream-come-true, to play a character that I had fallen in love with, in a series, which, I was already a fan of (the OG animation on Nickelodeon),” he elaborated.
Playing the character Gyatso
He is drawn to playing his character, Gyatso, for several reasons. “A dear friend, who introduced me to ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ on Nickelodeon, also told me that the name, Gyatso, is the same as the present Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.”
“Also, it means ‘ocean’ in Tibetan. Allowing all of the waves to be there and to just be waves, without trying to control the current,” he admitted.
“At that time, I had been reading about, and loving the philosophies of the current Dalai Lama, and connected with them very deeply, and I also loved his joyous humor,” he said.
“Gyatso has the ability to practice love in the most deep, yet charming way. He is both a very wise man, very loving, yet possesses the pure innocence of a child. Gyatso also has a tremendous sense of humor,” he exclaimed.
Motivations as an actor and storyteller
On his daily inspirations as an actor and storyteller, he said, “Since I started acting, late-ish in life at the age of 29, I considered acting as something that rescued me from a turbulent time in my life – it saved me, and for me, the process of acting is one of fun mixed with compassion.”
“Sometimes (not always) – there is a “flow” of energy, thinking, and emotion between actors: whenever I have experienced this, it is magical – I equate it to a special spiritual experience,” he said.
“It is this that I look forward to most. And it usually only happens when the work and preparation is thorough. It is both satisfying and connective,” he added.
Inspirations for his new music
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he said, “Music has always had an inspirational, and healing quality in my life. Music can transport us immediately, beyond the literal and logical. This is what I love the most about music.”
“I learned the violin at a young age, and when I broke away from the Classical music rigidity, and taught myself to play piano and guitar, songwriting became an important therapeutic practice in my life,” he said.
“When feelings overwhelmed me, writing a song would always help,” he said. “I never dreamed of sharing the music on a large scale, because it was just that – therapy.”
“Only my wife, Swee Lin knew and liked some of the songs. And only now, since we started Live streaming as the The NeokeleLims, did we share a lot of the songs I had written throughout my life, since my teenage days, and into my 50’s and 60’s,” he said.
“I am so grateful to Swee Lin, for having the adventurous spirit to press the ‘Go Live’ button! So many of the songs that I have written are about sadness, or despair, or displacement – that can be solved by having a loving spirit, and a compassionate approach. It can still inspire me,” he elaborated.
The digital age
On being an entertainer in the digital age, he said, “I am a techno- idiot, but Swee Lin, my fellow-actor-wife, and ukulele partner, is a Wiz. We have found that streaming has opened up our lives, introducing us to a passionate global community, quite a few of whom we have met, and have become friends with in real life.”
He continued, “As a 68-year-old, this connection with an audience from all over the world, at the same time, many of whom become real friends, blows my mind.”
“Also, it has been empowering to create our own content, because as actors, we interpret the work of writers, and act within the vision of a director. This has been liberating – yet given us a sense of more responsibility,” he said.
“We also learn a lot about ourselves when we present our priorities, our loves and sometimes, our weaknesses to our audience. Social media is still evolving, and my relationship with it keeps changing,” he said.
“I have learned to be less outraged about deep differences of opinion, and more accepting of other points of view. There seems to be so much polarization these days,” he added.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, he responded, “I really don’t know what to say. Everyone is different.
“My my own experience is this: I have wanted to give up many times – there is a lot of rejection in the business of acting, so a lot of self-belief, or a deep falling in love with the process of acting, can really help,” he explained.
“Also, for me, as I said earlier, it really helps that I see acting as a process of exercising compassion,” he said.
“Being confident, without getting too full of oneself, is something to always keep in mind. Real humility has to be practiced and developed. Respect of ourselves, and all those we work with is really essential,” he added.
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “For myself, finding something that I wanted deep in myself to do, was the turning point. It came as a surprise! I never thought that I wanted to be an actor. But falling into acting by accident, in a way, changed my life.”
“Success came in the form of regular work, meeting like-minded souls, and being able to engage my passion in my work. Popularity goes up and down, as change seems to be the most constant thing in life,” he explained.
“I already feel successful, in that I am doing what I love, I don’t want to stop learning, and it has been an immensely surprising ride, that I am very grateful for,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
He remarked about the new series, “I was a fan of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ already, way before I got this wonderful role Gyatso. I think this Netflix series will transport us, whether we are already fans of the original Nickelodeon series, or newbies to the whole ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ universe. I can’t wait to watch the whole season.”
