With Avatar: Fire and Ash already amassing over $345 million at the box office globally, James Cameron's sci-fi adventure has broken several box office records. With praise pouring in for the filmmaker, actor Oona Chaplin, who played Varang, the leader of the Ash People has also been receiving appreciation for her performance in the movie.
However, the actor has now reflected on the early days of her career in the industry, recalling how she wanted to change her last name to avoid claims of nepotism.
The actor, 39, is the granddaughter of legendary actor-comedian Charlie Chaplin. He passed away in 1977, nine years before she was born. Although her name had given her the limelight, she revealed that she sometimes felt "undeserving" for the name. "...because I know that doors have opened for me that potentially wouldn't have opened if I wasn't associated with this brilliant man. It's definitely tricky to feel undeserving of the place you're in," she said, in an interview with The Sunday Times.
Following these doubts, Oona Chaplin planned on changing her last name after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada), but dropped the plan after shifting her outlook. "I changed my mindset from guilt to gratitude by working really hard and knowing that whatever I do is never going to compare to what my grandfather did," she noted.
Oona Chaplin went on to say how she now feels content with holding her last name and will remain unperturbed about remarks on nepotism aimed at her. "If all my purpose in this realm is for people to say, "Oh, Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter", and they google him and watch a movie of his, then I'm happy because he's such a genius," she added.
The third part in the blockbuster franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash begins with Jake and Neytiri's family grappling with grief after Neteyam's death following Way of Water (2022). During the same time, they encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash people, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.
Returning for Avatar: Fire and Ash, are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, and Kate Winslet. David Thewlis, who is known for playing Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise, playing Peylak in the film.
Fourth and fifth parts to the blockbuster franchise are also in the works set for release in 2029 and 2031 respectively.