cover photographer: David Higgs
Inside photo credits: Orion Bustamante
You first captured hearts as Tuk in Avatar: The Way of Water. As you return in Avatar: Fire and Ash, how has your connection to the character—and to Pandora itself—evolved as you’ve grown both personally and as an actor?
Tuk and I have grown up together and still are growing up together. I hope I get to grow with her teenage self if we are able to take this beautiful story to the next level with Avatar 4 and 5. Playing Tuk has always been about trusting those instincts and being impulsive because that’s part of who she is, but I can understand Tuk and her inner monologue in a different way now with new experiences as a person and an actor.
You’ve spoken about being mentored by icons like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver. What’s one lesson from working alongside them that has fundamentally shaped how you approach acting today
I learned how essential and special the “moment before” is. The “moment before” is literally the moment before we shoot in our actor process, but also what our characters are going through. Knowing what that “moment before” is emotionally, mentally, and physically for our characters in their timeline cracks the code. Through this, we are discovering, often filling in the blanks, getting in the zone, and then we’re ready to go. I remember how much Sig inspired me when she invited me to get into that moment with her. It was before a scene of emotional turmoil. I loved sitting beside her, feeling so connected to Sig, then feeling so connected to my character, Tuk, and having those emotions fill to the brim so that they were ready to spill over when Jim called “action.”
Much of Avatar is created in “the Volume,” where imagination does a lot of the heavy lifting. How do you emotionally ground a performance when the world you’re reacting to doesn’t physically exist yet?
I started this process as a pre-pubescent child, and the most natural thing is to use your imagination. It’s how I had so much fun growing up, whether it be making up stories or writing little jingles or role play…
When we’re connected to our characters, connected to each other as actors, and in the moment with our director, it all flows so naturally, and I never think “this isn’t real”.
I guess sometimes, I would feel so safe on set that I’d have to really convince my brain I was in critical danger.
From Na’vi movement and free diving to parkour and archery, your preparation is incredibly intense. Which skill challenged you the most—and which made you feel the most connected to the character?
The skill that challenged me the most was parkour. I had a hard time keeping up and being coordinated, haha.
The Na’vi movement really made me feel connected to Tuk! It was so much fun to embody that part of Na’vi culture and, then, to think of how I could personalize that to Tuk when it came to her personality, her essence, her physicality, and her age. The na’vi squat took some practice, haha. It is no joke and requires flexibility!
You’ve described James Cameron as someone who emphasizes curiosity, emotional context, and world-building. How has his mentorship influenced not just your performances but how you think about storytelling overall?
He tells a story unapologetically, where we see these characters in their lightest and darkest moments, and he brings his vision all the way to the finish line exactly how he imagined it. He’s so great at communicating this vision to us actors and gives us the freedom to discover our characters. He really has taught me to trust your instincts, explore, and follow your vision.
This year, you’re also part of The Life of Chuck, based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Mike Flanagan. How did stepping into a more haunting, emotionally complex story challenge you in new ways?
Stepping into this story and genre was so exciting! I was enamored with my character Cat, in the ways that I could relate to her and the ways I couldn’t.
It’s a haunting story, but in a quiet, sneaky, unexpected way, and that asked me to trust stillness, intuition, and what’s happening underneath the words. I loved letting the silence do some of the talking. At the same time, we had so many vivid moments where these characters are having a good time, even if not a long time, in what they love, in who they love, and in who they are.
You’re a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a debut album already out and a new project coming in 2025. How does writing music differ from acting for you—and where do the two art forms overlap?
Writing music feels like telling the truth and finding my truth before I’ve fully figured it out. Acting is stepping into someone else’s shoes and honoring their story. Both of them overlap in chasing emotion, honesty, and discovery.
They really influence each other! Every character teaches me a lot about myself, which then becomes part of my songwriting. As part of my acting process and getting to know my character, I love to write songs from the perspectives of these characters, becoming even more connected to them in the process.
You’re producing and writing your own music at a young age and attending the Berklee Summer Conservatory this summer. What excites you most about developing your musical identity at this stage of your life?
(P.S. I attended Berklee Summer Conservatory last summer and won’t be attending this summer.)
I love that I don’t have all the answers yet. That’s the exciting part! I’m experimenting, learning, and letting myself be curious instead of perfect. Right now, I’m loving referring to my genre as “cinematic pop”, not because it sounds like a film score, but because of the underlying story and the feeling of being brought to life through the production choices, whether instrumental or vocal. I’m writing from my heart, from who I am, from my experiences, from my questions, and from my answers at this stage of my life.
As a proud biracial artist with an English father and Chinese mother, how does representation factor into the roles you take—and what does it mean to you to see young audiences feel reflected through your work?
Growing up, I didn’t always see people who looked like me just existing in stories, from being messy to falling in love to just being human. If doing what I love can make even one young person feel seen, that means everything! I want kids to feel like they belong in this world, feel seen, feel their stories represented, feel like they can tell their stories, and feel that we can all connect with each other and come together over these stories and emotions.
With major films, new music, and continued growth ahead, how do you stay grounded amid so much momentum—and what kind of stories do you hope to be telling five or ten years from now?
There’s so much I want to explore, and I’m so excited for what’s to come!
I really want to dive into the rom-com genre as well as the horror side of things! I’m curious to walk in the shoes of characters that walk very different paths from those to which I could easily relate.
I would love to go much deeper into storytelling behind the camera in the future. I’ve really enjoyed being behind the camera for my music videos for directing, writing, and editing. Having the chance to perform all of these functions has given me new appreciation and perspective.
I can’t wait to be writing songs about experiences I’ve only imagined so far. I can’t wait to test my boundaries and keep discovering.
Your singles unfold almost like diary entries — moments before, during, and after falling for someone. What made you want to tell this story in pieces instead of waiting to reveal it all at once on the EP?
Telling the story in this way has been so fun because it really represents the journey and how it all truly feels. Falling for someone doesn’t happen all at once. Instead, it’s moments, tiny shifts, thoughts you replay in your head, and so much more. I wanted each song to feel like a page from the diary, like you’re growing with me instead of being told the whole story at the end. That journey has only just begun, and the best is yet to come.
How do you translate hesitation and unspoken feelings into sound without giving too much away?
I love to play with space. Sometimes it’s in the production, and sometimes it’s in what I don’t say. Hesitation, unspoken feelings, and confessions live in pauses, in softer vocals, in lyrics that almost confess but don’t fully. I like when a song feels like it’s holding its breath. That’s usually where the truth is.
You’ve shared that much of Forever Fool was written on your bedroom floor. How did that physical space shape the honesty and vulnerability we hear across these songs?
There’s something about being in my safe space that feels totally unfiltered. That space makes it impossible to pretend. Whatever the thoughts were that I had to untangle or whether I was nervous, excited, yearning…, it all went straight into my songs, and I could get caught in the feels unapologetically.
in 2026, with such a deeply Gen-Z and emotionally open rollout, what do you hope listeners — especially those experiencing first love right now — see themselves reflected in through Forever Fool?
I hope they feel less alone in how big everything feels. First love can be confusing, sweet, and overwhelming all at once, and that’s not just okay, but maybe even the fun of it all! I want listeners to feel like their feelings are valid, even the embarrassing ones. This project and story is really about letting yourself feel it all without judgment.
