Avatar star Sam Worthington reveals why he didn't interact with one key cast member during sequel filming

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

The first Avatar movie was released 16 years ago. How would you describe its impact on your life?

When we started, I was 31 – I’m 49 now. Avatar made my whole world do a 180. You can’t prepare for the Hollywood industry, you’ve just got to survive the turbulence. And then you learn as you’re doing it. Unfortunately, you have to do it under a spotlight.

James Cameron has a reputation for being demanding. What’s he like to work with?

Jim is the best acting director I’ve ever met! He’s so detailed. It really helps. His movies are acknowledged for their spectacle, but these movies don’t work unless they have a soul and that’s what you get from the performances. I’m humbled to have Jim as my friend and mentor. When I go to other jobs, that bar is very high once you’ve worked with Jim.

Before the release of The Way of Water there were doubts whether audiences still had the appetite for Avatar. Were you worried?


I don’t doubt my boss, man! People thought Aliens wouldn’t match Alien. People thought Terminator 2: Judgment Day wouldn’t be as good as The Terminator. The thing about Jim is he always gives you the unexpected.

Jake’s eldest son Neteyam died at the end of The Way of Water. How does that grief affect him in Fire and Ash?

They’re still in a state of shock over what happened. The movie explores the struggle to hold together the things that you love. Jake goes back to his touchstone, which is soldiering. He doesn’t want violence to come, but soldiering is what he knows, and that helps him navigate these harsh emotions.

You’re the father of three boys. Was it a challenge to tap into every parent’s worst nightmare?

The great thing was that we filmed the two sequels simultaneously. So Neteyam’s death came early on and I knew we could use the emotion of that scene and carry it into Fire and Ash. You can’t “play” grief, otherwise the movie becomes bogged in this mire of pain and sadness. It’s more about how you resurrect out of that.

Jake’s nemesis in Fire and Ash is Oona Chaplin’s ferocious Varang. What’s their dynamic?

I feel like I didn’t really meet Oona until yesterday – I had only met Varang! Oona has her method and she stays in that energy. She’s the darkness, so she didn’t really want to interact with any of us; she wanted to keep that friction. And I respected that. I think that builds the antagonism between them.

You had to learn how to free-dive for The Way of Water. Was there anything as challenging as that on Fire and Ash?

I joked with Jim yesterday: I said, “In the first movie, we went to the depths of the ocean… in this one we’re going to the depths of emotion”. I don’t mind holding my breath and going under water, but when you have to dig deep like we do in this one, it’s a lot more challenging.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for release on Friday 19th December 2025.

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