A master storyteller, Oscar®-nominated writer/producer/director M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN (“The Sixth Sense,” “Signs,” “Unbreakable”) brought the hit animated series “The
Last Airbender” to the big screen, creating an epic, larger-than-life
world that explodes with spectacular special effects, great action and
exciting adventure. 

The film boasts a talented youthful cast including Nicola Peltz (“Deck the Halls”) and Jackson Rathbone (“Twilight Eclipse”). DCM had the opportunity to meet with
the pair at Philadelphia’s Penns Landing to discuss life, the making
of the film, and dare we say Team Jasper? 

DCM:  If you guys had to pick a nation in real life to join, which one would it be?

NP:  Water!

JR:  Water!  (They [Nicola and Jackson] high-five!)

DCM:  So it would have been water?

NP:  Water is so interesting.  At times it can be evil, say with the tsunami.

JR:  There’s a great philosophy behind water.  I’ve always been a big fan of Bruce Lee and his work.  Bruce Lee was a philosopher as well.  
He wrote this amazing book called Artist
of Life.  He talks about being like water and what that means. 
The flow and how water can affect your world.   Basically
it’s a long philosophical conversation that we will have over drinks
another day.

DCM:  Sounds good!  Now I know, Nicola, you used to play hockey and this is a very physical role.  Did you really train for four months in martial arts? 

NP:  Oh yeah!  I started two years ago!  I played ice hockey.

DCM:  It was ice hockey?  Philadelphia is a major ice hockey town!  We love the Philadelphia Flyers. 

NP:  I loved ice hockey!  I have six brothers and a sister.  And I really enjoyed learning martial arts.  I learned Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

DCM:  Is it very disciplined?

NP:  Yes, it is!

DCM:  How about you Jackson, did you also do the same?

JR:  Yes, I started off in January about two years ago.  I was in Los Angeles doing Kung Fu and mixed martial arts classes and going to the Paramount Lot
for hours every day.  It was fun.  I got to learn stick fighting
which was a powerful fist form and then I got to go to boot camp here
in Philadelphia!  That was way before we even started filming. 
Then we continued the process all throughout the filming process. 
It was fun.  It’s one of the best things about being an actor. 
You get to learn new skill sets for your job.  It’s kind of like
being in The Matrix.  Keanu Reeves looks over and says “I know
Kung-Fu!”  It’s a great story!

DCM:  What is it like being directed by M. Night Shyamalan?  Was that an amazing experience?

NP:  It definitely was.  I watched the series before I even auditioned for the show and I loved it. I love Katara.  So for me to get the role of Katara-I
am so blessed and lucky. But for M. Night to write it and direct it,
and then direct me in the film!

DCM:  How did you find out about the role? 

NP:  My agent called me, and my mom thought a chandelier fell on my head because I was crying, laughing, and screaming all at the same time.  It was crazy. 
My family was very excited for me.  My brothers got me a Carvel
ice cream cake to celebrate! 

DCM:  Sweet!  Now Jackson, how did you hear about the role?

JR:  Basically the same kind of process.  I screamed.  My brothers got me a Carvel Cake (laughing).  No, I don’t even know what kind of
cake that is.

DCM &NP:  What?! 

NP:  You don’t know what a Carvel ice cream cake is?!  Oh my goodness, have you been living under a rock or something?

JR:  Apparently I don’t have a sweet tooth as much as I should.

NP:  Okay it is THE BEST ice cream cake in the world!

DCM:  If I would have known, I would have brought you one!

JR:  Why didn’t someone tell her?  What’s going on here (laughing)?!

NP:  In our family, we have to have a Carvel Cake every night.  We are always finding an excuse.  There are so many people there is always something:
someone’s birthday, “It is summertime”, “You’re starting school”
or anything!  We always have a Carvel Cake!

JR:  I want to be at your house all the time now.  Let’s just join her family! 

DCM:  Nicola, you are from NY right?  They have Carvel there?

NP:  Yes, I am from NY and it is two seconds away from my house.  It is very convenient. 

DCM:  Now, Jackson, you really grew up all over the place! 

JR:  Yeah, I did.

DCM:  You were born in Singapore?

JR:  Singapore, yes.  It’s one of those things where I moved around on average every 1 ˝ to 2 years during my life. 

NP:  Do your thing! 

JR:  What thing?  That thing?

NP:  Yes!

JR:  Okay.  Well I was born in Singapore and then I moved to Medan, Jakarta, Connecticut, London, Bakersfield California, Norway, Houston Texas, Midland Texas,
Michigan, and then I settled in LA where I am now.

DCM:  WOW!

NP:  And he does it so fast!  “Well I’ve been...”

JR:  (singing) “Well I’ve been everywhere man!  Well, I’ve been everywhere!”

DCM:  That’s fantastic!  What do you think of Philadelphia?

JR:  I love it.  Not just the food, which is delicious..the cheesesteaks. 

NP:  The people are great too.

JR:  Yeah.  Exactly.  The people here have been so wonderful.  I can see why Night films every one of his movies here.  He has the same
crew.  They are really sweet, smart, wonderful people.  You
know the hardest part of filming is having to say goodbye at the end
of it.  When July 2^nd came around it was really hard. 
It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone.  We had become such
a tight knit family- you know with the cast and crew and everyone. 

DCM:  Which was your favorite location to film in?  

JR:  We started filming “The Last Airbender” in Greenland.  That was really nice.  It’s not one of those places that you normally get to
visit.  It’s not like Greenland is a vacation hotspot because
it’s really cold.

NP:  Hey!  It was awesome filming here in Philadelphia!

JR: Oh c’mon!  It was awesome filming here in Philly!  I got to play around with my band 100 Monkeys around here.  We had a great time.  Philadelphia
is so warm and inviting.  You have great food here and some really
wonderful people.

DCM:  Is it true that there were 6,000 people involved to make this movie?

JR:  I would not be surprised if it was about 6,000.  With everyone on any given day we had two to three hundred.  You have the crafts men and women
who were behind the scenes-they are the true unsung heroes of these
films.  The people who work behind the scenes-the post production,
pre-production, the sets, the lighting, setting up the elaborate action
scenes.

NP:  There are so many people involved in making a film.  When you go to the movies, you enjoy your popcorn, you chat, you watch the movie.  You never
really see or understand how much hard work and effort and time that
has gone into the film.  Doing the film, we really understand that. 
There’s the grips and the lighting, special effects teams, stunt guys,
choreographers, the cast, there’s everyone!

JR:  It’s amazing!

DCM:  It is amazing Jackson!  For a normal movie, you have actors, they memorize lines and they have to rehearse,  but for you guys to go through 4 +
months of intense martial arts training that continued for two years
while actually shooting the film, this would be an intense project to
be a part of.  How exciting!

NP:  It is very exciting!  We are very lucky and blessed to be a part of it.

DCM:  Nicola, “The Last Airbender” was based on a Nickelodeon Show.  What was your favorite Nick show while growing up?

NP:  “The Last Airbender” of course!  I loved the show even before I got to audition for the show! 

DCM:  Jackson, did you do your own stunts?

JR:  I did do all of the stunts!  Only kidding.  I had a stunt double named Holland and he looks just like me.  We could be brothers. 
At times I got to fight my own stunt double.  It was fun. 
I don’t have any special powers like Nicola but I do have a pretty
nifty boomerang and that was fun.   Who needs to bend when
I can boomerang, right?  I was taking on guys who could throw fire
and I was throwing a piece of wood and I still kicked their butt!

NP:  I can kick butt if I wanted to! (Laughing).

JR: (Laughing) So don’t make her angry. You wouldn’t like her when she’s angry.

DCM:  So Jackson, what were the most interesting things about the character that you played?

JR:  That I was able to do a lot of Kung Fu.  It was pretty sweet.  I would go home and practice my stick fighting…and I got the boomerang…and
for the next two films I get to learn a lot of sword fighting.

DCM:  Hold on a second!  Did I understand you correctly when you say for the next two films?

JR:  Oh yes!  This is the first of a trilogy. 

DCM:  Which movie that you have made is your favorite?  You just made both “The Last Airbender” and also “Twilight Eclispe”! 

JR:  Well, with “Twilight Eclipse” you get to see all of the vampire action.  We get to see Jasper go a little crazy. We get to see him back, kicking
some ass!  Jasper is from the civil war era.  He has the power
to manipulate emotions.  There’s a dangerous side to his character
as nothing is a reality if he’s manipulating everyone around him. 
With “The Last Airbender”, it’s in 3D!  So let’s say this,
“Twilight Eclipse” is my favorite vampire film and “The Last Airbender”
is my favorite 3D film.

DCM:  Nicola, I have to ask.  Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

NP:  I’m team Jasper!  Definitely Team Jasper!

JR:  I paid her to say that.

DCM:  Hey Jackson, are you still going by the name DJ Joyride?

JR:  No.  Now I go by my band name (100 Monkeys) as J Action.