Noah Andrew Ringer is an American actor who played AvatarAang in the film The Last Airbender directed by M. Night Shyamalan. This was his first role and he was discovered in an open casting call for airbender in Texas. He was later cast in Cowboys & Aliens as Emmett. Ringer attended the 2010 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards on March 27, 2010 with his fellow cast members Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, and Jackson Rathbone to debut the new TV spot for the film.
Ringer has stated that he has American Indian ancestry.[1] He is a regional Texas taekwondo champion as well as a fan of the television show. He was supposedly nicknamed "Avatar" because he looks similar to the main character, Aang, a resemblance further heightened by the fact that Noah would regularly shave his head. When asked why he keeps his hair shaved, Ringer responded "It keeps me cool when I'm doing taekwondo."[2]
Ringer was cast for the role of Aang after submitting a homemade DVD of himself practicing taekwondo. Dev Patel, set to portray PrinceZuko, also had experience in taekwondo before he began acting. Even though he is seven years older than Ringer and a foot taller, Patel states that in a martial arts match between the two, "Noah would knock me flat on my back!"[2]
Ringer received mixed reviews with respect to his acting ability in the film from critics and fans alike, although many professional reviews were mostly negative. For example, John Meyer wrote "Dallas-born actor Noah Ringer comes across as a pouty-lipped kid who seems to be reading his lines off a teleprompter."[3]
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