As Oona Chaplin perched in her treehouse nestled amidst the lush Cuban jungle, a call from the audition of James Cameron's film 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' stirred her from her serene retreat. "Rarely do I leave my treehouse, but a chance to meet Jim Cameron was a dream come true," she recalls, better known for her heart-wrenching role as Talisa in 'Game of Thrones.'
The part of Varang, the fierce and alluring leader of the Ash People, was a pivotal one. "It was one of the most surreal moments of my life," Chaplin exclaims. "Cameron, my hero with his works in 'Aliens,' 'Terminator,' and 'Titanic,' had a childlike enthusiasm for our scenes. He immersed himself completely, putting his body and soul into every moment."
Their meeting reshaped the competition for the role, with Cameron describing Chaplin's audition as "mesmerizing." "There were three other actresses who I wanted to work with," Cameron tells The Hollywood Reporter. "They were movie stars, fantastic in their own right. But there was something special in Chaplin's audition—a sexuality, a dominating psychology, and a fury that only she could channel. She moved fluidly between these layers, which I didn't see in the others."
Early reviews have validated Cameron's choice, with many praising Chaplin's performance for its volatile energy and scene-stealing presence. On set at Manhattan Beach Studios, Chaplin was surprised by Cameron's intense engagement during the performance-capture sessions. "He is so physically, psychologically, and spiritually invested in every moment of every scene," she says. "Unlike some directors who sit back and direct from afar, he gets in the scene with you. The real surprise was the amount of time he dedicated to discussion—the technology allowed him to spend all this time with the actors to get to the heart of the scene."
At the film's Los Angeles premiere, Chaplin witnessed her performance for the first time and marveled at how lifelike her character looked, even when covered in "digital makeup." "The mind-bending part is that it's really me," she says. "I can even tell when it's my stunt double doing something because she has a different spirit of movement."
Chaplin, granddaughter of Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin, adds that working on 'Fire and Ash' has rekindled her desire to take on more roles after stepping back from the industry for a while. "I've been dedicated to being a mom for the past two and a half years and didn't want to work," she says. "But coinciding with the release of this film, I feel ready to return to work. So I hope this role paves the way for more opportunities."
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' opens in theaters this Friday.
