Noah Ringer

Ringer was born in Dallas, Texas. He has stated that he has some Native American heritage. He was a shy child growing up. When he was ten, his mother enrolled him at ATA Martial Arts in Carrollton, Texas, part of the American Taekwondo Association, or ATA. Initially reluctant to go, Ringer quickly fell in love with it. He showed early promise and soon began competing in tournaments. In December 2008, at age twelve, Ringer earned his first degree black belt.\n', ' Ringer kept his head shaved, and fellow students nicknamed him "Avatar," after the character Aang in the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Ringer\'s taekwondo instructor, Master Eric Pechacek, started watching the show and also noticed the resemblance of Ringer to Aang, in both appearance and personality. He introduced the show to Ringer, who became an immediate fan.\n', ' In July 2008, Pechacek received an email from the ATA, inviting any interested students to audition for the role of Aang in The Last Airbender. Pechacek urged Ringer to try out for the part, and he and his parents agreed. For the audition video, Ringer dressed in Aang\'s attire, using his Halloween costume from the previous year. He performed an XMA Jahng Bong routine and recited a few lines. Ringer, who had never previously acted, was encouraged to be himself. A month after sending in the video, Ringer was called to Philadelphia to meet with director M. Night Shyamalan. A month after that, he was offered the part. Ringer had one month to prepare for the film. He did intense study with director Linda Seto at the Dallas Young Actors Studio, where he still attends classes today. He also began training in different types of martial arts, which continued during the filming process.\n', '