EXCLUSIVE: Adam Beach (Government Cheese, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) has landed the role of Hakoda in the third season of Netflix‘s live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender, sources close to production tell Deadline. Hakoda is the father of Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), two main characters in the story.
Fans of the franchise have long campaigned for Beach to play the character, and it appears the suggestion was taken to heart. Netflix declined to comment for this story.
The streaming series is a live-action adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon animated series. It follows the young “Avatar,” Aang (Gordon Cormier), who must master all four elemental powers—air, water, fire, and earth—to restore balance to the world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation.
Beach joins the cast, which also includes Dallas Liu, Elizabeth Yu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Daniel Dae Kim, Momona Tamada, and Thalia Tran; and Season 2 additions: Miya Cech, Chin Han, Hoa Xuande, Justin Chien, Amanda Zhou, Crystal Yu, Kelemete Misipeka, Lourdes Faberes, and Rekha Sharma. New cast members for Season 3 include Jon Jon Briones as Piandao and Tantoo Cardinal as Hama.
Production on Season 3 is currently underway.
Beach is an Indigenous Canadian actor with extensive credits in film and television. He is perhaps best known for portraying Ira Hayes in Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, and as Detective Chester Lake in the 8th and 9th seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He can currently be seen in the Apple TV+ series Government Cheese, alongside David Oyelowo, and is prepping for the role of decorated Native American fire captain Paul Fullerton in Garry A. Brown’s as-yet-untitled indie biopic. Additional credits include: Jane Campion’s Academy Award-winning film The Power of the Dog for Netflix; Apple TV+’s Swan Song, starring opposite Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris; and Windtalkers with Nicolas Cage.
