Posted 32 minutes agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret Down"Avatar" Turns 20: Michaela Murphy On Bringing Toph To Life, Favorite Memories, And The Blind Bandit's LegacyTwenty years later, Michaela reflects on the lasting impact of Avatar, her favorite behind-the-scenes memories, and voicing the iconic earthbender.by Andrew FirrioloBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink It's been two decades since Aang emerged from the iceberg, and the world hasn't been the same since. Nickelodeon Animation Studio In honor of Avatar: The Last Airbender's 20th anniversary, we're interviewing the cast and crew who brought our favorite characters to life. Kicking off the series is Michaela Murphy, who voiced Toph Beifong, the fearless and sharp-witted earthbending master with a heart of gold. Toph turned her blindness into her biggest strength, showing a determination and can-do attitude towards everything thrown her way.
Ahead of the Avatar cast reunion panel at New York Comic Con, I had the honor of chatting with Michaela to hear all about voicing the iconic blind bandit.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Michaela started out in local theater and commercials, which led to voice acting roles. Michaela Jill Murphy Michaela: As a kid, I wasn't specifically trying to get into voice acting. I just loved performing, so I started in local theater. The very first production I did was Oliver - I was just an orphan in the ensemble, and it was so much fun! I was in a local production of Annie next, as Annie, which was cool, and at the same time I started to get into commercials.
To get into the on-camera industry, my mom and I actually printed out headshots, and walked door to door to various agencies. We walked in and asked if anyone wanted to take a meeting. Things work a little differently now, but we started that way, and eventually a commercial agent took me on. I had a lot of anxiety as a kid, so the in-person auditions were pretty hit or miss. I either did really well, or kind of had an anxiety attack! But they opened up a youth voiceover department at CESD [talent agency] when I was around seven years old, and they asked, "Hey, do you want to try this?" and I was like, "Yeah, absolutely!"I think it went well because I'd already had some experience. I could read a script cold and take direction, and I wasn't as face-to-face with the in-person anxiety. I was super comfortable recording in a booth, you know, being kooky or fun or loud. So, there wasn't one specific thing that led me to voiceover. I love to perform; I love to be creative. I love to sing, dance, and act. So, all of that led me to voice acting at the time. Michaela's first role in Avatar was Meng in "The Fortuneteller." Nickelodeon Animation Studio Michaela: I got the audition for Meng in Season 1 through my agency at the time. Things have absolutely changed a lot, but back then, you pretty much had to go through a manager or an agent to get access to an audition.
So yes, I got the role of Meng first - our sassy little pigtail queen who calls Katara a floozy! At the time, [creators] Mike [Dante DiMartino] and Bryan [Konietzko] were already planning on making Toph a female. Supposedly, when they saw me recording for Meng, they were like, "Hey, that might be our Toph! That's kind of the energy we should have. We should call her back and have her read for Toph!" When Michaela read for Toph, she wasn't aware it was for Avatar! Nickelodeon Animation Studio Michaela: I didn't know I was auditioning for the same show when I got the script for Toph - there weren't visuals that came with the script. For the audition choices, I just went with my gut! Whenever I get an audition, I try not to overcomplicate it. I try to just trust my perspective, like, what's the description? How are these lines written? What energy do I feel is the best to emulate this character?My audition scene was the one with The Boulder from "The Blind Bandit." It had the classic lines like, "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" and, "Whenever you're ready, the pebble!" I was thinking, "Oh, she's sassy, she's tough, she's beating this guy up! No big deal. I got this!" (Michaela laughs) I like to think my grandmother actually recording the Boulder lines with me was an influencing factor in them liking the audition. She was with me when I had to send in the audition, and she was like, "I'll read these other parts!" Some days, Michaela recorded with the cast, and others, it was just her and the mic. Nickelodeon Animation Studio Michaela: It just depended on scheduling. I think they liked having a couple of us in the booth at the same time. For me, I would come in like a Tuesday after school slot, and that was pretty consistent. If other cast members could come in during that window, I think they tried to if we had scenes together. I do remember it being pretty 50/50, on me being alone versus having somebody there. The recording only lasted for two years, maybe a year and a half