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It hasn't even been a week since the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender was released and the show has found itself in controversy. Despite raking in good numbers worldwide, the show has been at the center of much criticism since its release on February 22, 2024.
While sometimes these criticisms are centered around the show itself, they also have to do with the characters and actors playing it. This time, the case is the latter. For those who are unaware, the current climate of Hollywood prefers representation over anything else, and when someone gets it wrong, the outrage is on a huge scale.
Therefore, when Ian Ousley was cast in an indigenous role in Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans were furious. This was because, after receiving some flak for his casting, his management had revealed that he belonged to a mixed race: he was both a Native American and a member of the Cherokee tribe.
However, later reports established that the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky was not federally recognized as a legitimate tribe. To make matters worse, the only three recognized Cherokee tribes, which are the Cherokee Nation, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, also did not give Cherokee tribe status to people belonging to the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky.
This made fans furious as they thought they had been lied to, and expressed their opinions online, primarily on Reddit..
You can see one such reaction below:
"Casting a white boy who lied about being indigenous" - Fans on Ian Ousley's casting in Avatar: The Last Airbender
Back when Netflix released an official confirmation in 2021 regarding the casting of titular characters, the role of Sokka, played by Ousley, was not taken positively by fans. Many were unhappy with the fact that Ousely was to play an indigenous character in the show despite him not belonging to one.
What made it worse was that his management tried to push the matter under the rug by revealing details about his racial status. They said that the young actor was half Native American and half Cherokee Tribe member. However, further investigation revealed that the family Ousley belonged to was not recognized as a tribe per se.
This led fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender to lay falsification claims on the makers and Ousley's representatives. They did not shy away from explicitly letting their opinions known on the internet. Many thought they were being "lied" to and demanded answers from the makers.
What are some of Ian Ousley's notable pieces of work?
Ian Ousley is a fairly new face in Hollywood. He started acting in 2019 and since then has appeared in Sorry for Your Loss, 13 Reasons Why, Young Sheldon, Big Shot, and Physical. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, he stars as Sokka.
All eight episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender are currently streaming on Netflix.
