Posted 1 hour agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret Down"She Gives People Hope": "Avatar" Star Jennie Kwan On What Makes Suki A Fan Favorite 20 Years LaterFrom guest-starring role to lasting fan favorite, Jennie Kwan looks back on two decades of Suki and what the Kyoshi Warrior continues to represent.by Andrew FirrioloBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since we met the fearless Kyoshi Warrior, Suki. Nickelodeon Animation Studios From her debut in "The Warriors of Kyoshi," Suki quickly became a fan-favorite and vital member of the "Gaang." Voice actor Jennie Kwan brought strength, compassion, and heart to the role, delivering unforgettable moments like, "I am a warrior...but I'm a girl, too." To celebrate Avatar's 20th anniversary, we're spotlighting the voices and creators behind the beloved series. Ahead of the upcoming cast reunion at New York Comic Con, I sat down with Jennie to reflect on Suki's legacy, her impact on fans, and what it's like to be part of the Avatar universe two decades later.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Before Avatar, Jennie worked in on-screen roles, like Sam in California Dreams, and voice-over roles, like Little Shop. NBC / Via Everett Collection Jennie: I originally planned to pursue on-camera roles. Ironically, my first professional gig was actually a voice-over! They needed a singer for one of the main characters, so I did a voice match. It was for a cartoon called Little Shop, and it was sort of a spin-off on the Broadway musical.
With Suki's audition, I received what's called "sides," which is an excerpt of scenes from a full script. I don't think they even included the title, Avatar, but I just knew it was a guest spot for the role of Suki.I went into my agent's office, and I read the sides there. I think it was a couple of weeks later that I got a call to go to Nickelodeon, and I read with [voice director] Andrea Romano. Creators Mike [Dante DiMartino] and Bryan [Konietzko] were also there to see if this would be a fit. It was either later that day or a couple of days later, and they told me I had gotten the part! Every time Suki came back, it was a surprise! Nickelodeon Animation Studios Jennie: It was a surprise every single time I got to come back for the show. When I came back for her second episode, I thought, "Oh, this is great! I guess they want to have me back!" I was told it was because she was such a fan-favorite.I had to refresh my memory a bit after the jump between Season 1 and Season 2. As the role became consistent, I didn't necessarily have that "new" feeling. As a guest star or recurring character, you always feel a bit like that - but the more I came back, the more natural it felt.
To help you get back into it, they'll play you a voice reference. You can hear all the intonations and the inflections, and it kind of brings everything back. Reading the script also helps to see where the character is at. Jennie admires Suki's confidence and loves seeing her deeper side. Nickelodeon Animation Studios Jennie: I think what really connected Suki to the fans is her character and what she represents. She has a strong sense of service and community. She represents a sisterhood and female power, which really resonated with young women and young people in general. She has a will to do good and a strong sense of who she is at such a young age. She wants to make a positive change in the world, fighting darkness. We find in the comics [Suki, Alone] that she does have these deeper sides, which I think is beautiful. You see her at one of her lowest points, and how she rises above what happens to her at The Boiling Rock. When I read it, I thought, "Oh, this is a great novel!" In the show, I wish we could have seen more of that really deep side of her and what drives her. We're all human, we're all complex. Without struggle, we can't grow. She has a strong sense of what guides her, which is really cool. I can learn stuff from Suki! Jennie reflects on her similarities to Suki: Araya Doheny / Via WireImage Jennie: I would like to say that I have similar qualities - I would hope so! I am also a person who believes in service, community, and my sisterhood. I have close girlfriends I turn to when I am going through my own turmoil, and I'm also there for them. I don't like to use the words right and wrong, but I think I have a strong sense of finding where the light is, following that, and trying to do my best. I'm always doing things to hopefully improve in my own life, and that can be really tough. I don't think we do that alone - we have to do that with community. Suki is definitely a team player, right? It's like, I can't do life by myself! It's too hard, and I need my close people near me to be able to get through. Those are some things I hope are similar between Suki and me. Besides Suki's first appearance, Jennie recorded many scenes with Jack De Sena [voice of Sokka]. Nickelodeon Animation Studios Je