Ali Wong is no stranger to voice-acting. From her time in movies like Onward and Ralph Breaks the Internet to her leading roles in TV shows like Tuca and Bertie, the comedian has proved she is talented both in front of the camera and behind a mic. Now, as an executive producer on the new Netflix series, Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, Wong decided to take on the titular role herself instead of having someone else do it – and her reasoning as to why is actually the sweetest.
For those who don’t know, Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld is a new series on Netflix’s 2024 schedule. The show follows a teenage girl who struggles to learn how to control her fire powers as she prepares to take on a demon from the Underworld that threatens not only her life but the people she loves.
The Beef actress plays the titular character, Jentry Chau, and does a great job at it. However, I couldn’t help but ask in my interview with her and showrunner Echo Wu why she decided to voice the primary role instead of looking for someone else. At first, Wong jokingly said she went along with it simply because Wu asked her:
I think Echo asked me, and then I was like, ‘Okay, sure.’ I was like, ‘I’ll do it.’ It was an honor.
After that, however, Wong said a big reason why she wanted to do this show stemmed from having a lovely experience watching Avatar: The Last Airbender with her children. She wanted to make a series that truly captured that familial relationship while also finding a way to connect with both adults and their children, explaining:
I love Avatar so much, and I loved the experience of watching Avatar with my kids, and that’s something that I hope for audiences for this show. That it can be that show that moms can watch with their daughters, their sons.
Wong also said she knew she would feel bad if she missed out on voicing a character like Jentry, because after watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and its spinoff series, The Legend of Korra, there were characters she wished she could have voiced. She explained:
I looked at Avatar, and I was like, ‘Oh man, I would’ve loved to voice Toph. Like that would’ve been a dream.’ And I would’ve loved to have voiced … oh my God, what’s the spinoff show from Avatar? Korra! Yeah, so this is a dream come true to be able to do something like this.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a hugely successful series on Nickelodeon that still has a massive fanbase today. In fact Season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently in production. There’s also an upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender movie and several other ATLA universe-themed releases that we are all so excited about. So, Wong is not alone in her love for this universe.
To hear that the comedian was genuinely inspired by her time watching that masterpiece of a show with her daughters and that she wanted to create a series that had similar emotions makes so much sense. It’s also incredibly sweet.
As someone who has loved ATLA for years and understands the emotional depth it gives, that makes me feel like Jentry Chau vs The Underworld is in excellent hands. And as someone who has seen the whole series, I can confirm it’s very good, and I really hope it gets a second season so this epic story can continue.
If you still need to catch up with Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, you can check it out with a Netflix subscription. All 13 episodes are now playing.