Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender is just over the horizon and fans of the animated series are shivering with anticipation. So far, the streaming giant has done a bang-up job casting the colorful cast of characters, but there are growing concerns over Aang’s longtime friend, Bumi, the geezerly ruler of the Earth Kingdom.
The handsome Utkarsh Ambudkar has been tapped to play the aged warrior and fans are worried that the 40-year-old American actor might not have what it takes.
Who is Utkarsh Ambudkar?
While his name might not be one you remember, Ambudkar is no stranger to Hollywood. The actor, rapper, and singer got his start on MTV as a VJ before appearing in his first film, Pitch Perfect. Not only can the man sing, but his comedic chops have placed him alongside Mindy Kaling (The Office), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), and Jason Segal (The Muppets).
The actor regularly makes appearances in YouTube sketches for CollegeHumor and has worked alongside Key & Peele, which all brings us around to why Utkarsh Ambudkar is likely a perfect fit for King Bumi.
Why was Utkarsh Ambudkar cast as King Bumi?
Listen, I know there has been plenty of fervor around keeping the casting as close as possible, but there was never going an appropriately aged actor in the role of King Bumi. The man is as old as Aang for goodness sake! The mad genius played with Aang on the streets of Omashu as a child before somehow ascending to the throne. The Avatar might have had the misfortune of being frozen for the last century, but Bumi lived every single day of it, making the Earth King 112 years old.
The average human’s life expectancy is less than 80 years and there are very few working octogenarian actors. Dick Van Dyke is one of Hollywood’s oldest actors at 98 years young, and though he still looks great, his movement is clearly limited. If The Irishman was any indication, fans would have been bothered by stiff movements masked by CGI either way. Casting the much younger Amdbudkar makes sense when you consider just how lithe the Earth King is.
Despite his great age, Bumi is in fantastic shape. The royal is shredded to an absolutely hilarious degree and that 6 pack reveal lives rent frees in fans’ minds. It’s a stunning shot and executed so perfectly that I’ll never fully shake WTF glory of seeing him rip that shawl off for the first time. There was no way the casting director could find an old man with that insane of abs and those traps. Even Chris Hemsworth would be jealous of that grandpa bod.
Another argument for Ambudkar’s skillset is Bumi’s madman patter. A longtime rapper, Ambudkar is capable of mimicking Bumi’s rapid mumbling. The Earth King plays a senile, crazy old man well and it takes some serious skill to bridge the line between understandable dialogue and insane ranting. Ambudkar’s flow is fantastic and has even left Lin Manuel Miranda‘s jaw on the floor.
The inevitable showdown between Bumi and Aang for Sokka and Kitara’s freedom appears in the final moments of the trailer, and though he doesn’t look nearly as scraggly as his animated counterpart, Bumi doesn’t look half bad either. We guess that, through the magic of stage makeup, Ambudkar is going to fully represent the Centenarian when the series hits streaming in February.
