What Is Katara's Actress Nicola Peltz Up To Now?

In 2010, actor Nicola Peltz made her biggest splash yet by playing the role of Katara in the live-action movie "The Last Airbender." Previously voiced by Mae Whitman on the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon "Avatar: The Last Airbender," Katara represented a potentially pivotal career move for Peltz. Portraying such a massively well-known character in a costly summer 2010 tentpole could have conceivably cemented her as a movie star for audiences all over the world. Of course, "The Last Airbender" became an infamous critical dud and none of its lead actors went on to become a new generation of box office favorites.

In the wake of the "Last Airbender" fiasco, what has Nicola Peltz done with her career? Her subsequent artistic endeavors have largely been carved in the shadow of that calamity, whether it was her second foray into franchise cinema with the same studio behind "The Last Airbender," or her pivot into television and indie cinema to establish a distinctive artistic identity beyond Katara. For many pop culture devotees, Peltz will always be Katara. However, exploring what she's been up to in the years since "The Last Airbender" makes it clear that, for better and for worse, Peltz is far more than just her role in that one especially despised M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Born in January 1995, Nicola Peltz grew up in a packed family with half a dozen brothers and a single sister. She also had instant connections to the worlds of finance and entertainment thanks to her illustrious parents. Peltz's mother was model Claudia Heffner, while her father was Nelson Peltz, an extraordinarily wealthy billionaire with influence over companies like Wendy's, Family Dollar, and PepsiCo (among many others). Despite her family's notoriety, Nicola told Grazia in 2022 that she never felt like she was living in the spotlight before her big break. "I come from a hockey family," she explained. "All my brothers play hockey and my parents are, I guess, anti-Hollywood. They didn't grow up in LA or anything." 

Nicola Peltz's acting origin story begins in her middle school days, when she cultivated a passion for the craft. From there, she secured a few small roles in various movies and plays. These included a blink-and-miss-it appearance in the 2006 Christmas feature "Deck the Halls." Another big early coup was securing one of the principal roles in the 2007 Jeff Daniels play "Blackbird," which had over 100 performances. Going into the grueling schedule of theatre at a young age made Peltz's dedication to her craft clear. Very soon, she'd get a high-profile platform to build on that conviction. 

In the final weeks of 2008, director M. Night Shyamalan secured his lead actors for "The Last Airbender." Among them was Nicola Peltz as Katara, who, though unknown at the time, had left a mighty impression on Shyamalan. In fact, the filmmaker claimed that his motivation to make "The Last Airbender" was contingent on the casting of Peltz. The only other time Shyamalan had apparently expressed such a bold sentiment was back in the late 1990s, when he initially encountered Haley Joel Osment auditioning for "The Sixth Sense."

That set a high bar for Peltz to hit in the feature, which was anchored by other young actors also relatively new to the world of major cinema. Jackson Rathbone, playing Katara's brother Sokka, only had a few "Twilight" movies to his name before signing up for his part. Meanwhile, Noah Ringer was taking on his first major motion picture role here as Aang. Under the right circumstances, "The Last Airbender" might have introduced a trio of new movie stars to the public the same way that prior Shyamalan movies established Osment and Bryce Dallas Howard. That potential outcome made it easy to imagine why Peltz embraced a lead role in what turned into one of the most widely-despised films of its era.

Any potential for "The Last Airbender" to become a star-making enterprise for Nicola Peltz and company quickly evaporated once the reviews for "The Last Airbender" landed. Garnering dismal marks from film critics, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" devotees, and newcomers alike, "The Last Airbender" was one of 2010's most reviled movies. Coming under especially heavy fire from major critics were the performances of young actors like Peltz and Jackson Rathbone, whose casting in "The Last Airbender" was already controversially seen as whitewashing. A rampant critique of the film was how it removed all the fun and personality from its source material, and lifeless performances from the lead actors were seen as a key culprit in this.

No less than Roger Ebert himself said "all three [leads] are pretty bad" in "The Last Airbender," though he didn't see this as a reflection of Peltz, Rathbone, and Noah Ringer being outright awful artists. Instead, Ebert saw these youngsters getting under-served by an atrocious screenplay and baffling directing choices from M. Night Shyamalan. 

Despite such stinging critiques, "The Last Airbender" didn't do dismally at the box office. It even became the 19th biggest feature of 2010 domestically. However, the film's horrendous reputation instantly killed hopes for "The Last Airbender" getting a sequel or starting a new franchise. Who would want to see follow-ups to something so despised? This outcome also halted any new long-term career prospects for its lead performers, Nicola Peltz very much included. It was time for her to recalibrate her next career moves.

Between "The Last Airbender" in 2010 and "Transformers: Age of Extinction" in 2014, Nicola Peltz only appeared in one movie, the 2012 feature "Eye of the Hurricane." Taking on the part of Katara hadn't opened the floodgates of movie roles for Peltz. In the middle of this reality, Peltz opted to shift course and go over to the small screen. Among the characters anchoring the first season of "Bates Motel" in 2013 was Bradley Martin, portrayed by Peltz. The high-profile series paired Peltz up with well-known performers like Freddie Highmore, Olivia Cooke, and Vera Farmiga, while once again placing her into a pre-existing world. But rather than a universe dominated by Fire Nation soldiers, "Bates Motel" put Peltz into the world of "Psycho."

Over the show's lifespan (which only involved Peltz for its first three seasons), most of the acting awards and critical praise for "Bates Motel" was draped on Highmore and Farmiga. Still, getting attached to a hit show didn't hurt Peltz's career one bit. On the contrary, it gave her career a new lease on life, signaling artistic exploits beyond her infamous turn as Katara. Interestingly, even after this successful inaugural foray into television, Peltz largely returned to movies after "Transformers: Age of Extinction." Her TV exploits since "Bates Motel" have been restricted to a guest appearance on the first episode of "Inhumans" and showing up as Dorothy Stratten on the miniseries "Welcome to Chippendales."

After a few years away from the silver screen following "The Last Airbender," Nicola Peltz once again brushed up against a big Paramount tentpole in late 2012. This was when it was first reported that Peltz was one of several women testing out for the leading lady role in "Transformers: Age of Extinction." Poised to play the part of Mark Wahlberg's daughter in the production, Peltz 's name was placed alongside Gabriella Wilde, Margaret Qualley, and future fellow "Inhumans" performer Isabelle Cornish as finalists for the role. The initial news also indicated that the actor chosen for the part would be signed to a three-movie contract, suggesting that whoever won the role would be tasked with partially anchoring the "Transformers" saga going forward.

Four months after her name was first connected to "Age of Extinction," Peltz was officially cast as Tessa Yeager in March 2013. For Peltz, this role promised a "do-over" in terms of introducing herself as a blockbuster leading lady to the general public. "The Last Airbender" had gone down in flames, but a sequel in one of the biggest franchises of all time could have finally launched Peltz as a box office draw. If all went well, Peltz's post-"Last Airbender" career would now be defined by robots in disguise, not that botched Nickelodeon cartoon adaptation.

"Transformers: Age of Extinction" was an indisputable box office success in its global theatrical run, thanks to a worldwide box office haul that narrowly surpassed $1.1 billion. It even became the biggest movie of 2014 globally. However, the film's youngest stars didn't reap the benefits of starring in such a lucrative film. Many fans thought that the movie knocked the "Transformers" franchise off-course. Savage reviews for "Age of Extinction" didn't have many kind remarks for anyone in the cast, including Nicola Peltz's work as Tessa. When the 35th Razzie Awards came around, Peltz was one of only two "Age of Extinction" actors (alongside Kelsey Grammer, who was simultaneously nominated for four 2014 movies) to get a "worst acting" nod at the long-reviled ceremony.

After "Age of Extinction," the "Transformers" saga kept on chugging. However, it did so without Peltz ... mostly. She reprised the role of Tessa for a brief voice-over cameo in 2017's "Transformers: The Last Knight" but has otherwise been M.I.A. from other "Transformers" movies. 

Save for her voice-over in "The Last Knight," in fact, Peltz has not appeared in another theatrical major studio movie since "Age of Extinction." Her focus has instead shifted to runway modeling, indie cinema, and television. Two critically derided blockbusters were enough for Peltz, who radically changed her career after her sole on-screen "Transformers" movie appearance. If summer tentpoles weren't working out, then there were other avenues for her artistic pursuits.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist or a Hollywood insider to understand Nicola Peltz's decreased prominence in mainstream Hollywood. She didn't earn much praise for her big high-profile roles in "The Last Airbender" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction," nor did her indie and television work score her much more in the way of accolades. With these projects under her belt, she's simply not a first-choice pick for casting agents when putting together productions. What doesn't help, though, are larger rumors and events surrounding her family lineage. 

For one thing, rumors persist that Peltz's father was instrumental in securing her that "Last Airbender" acting gig. Having that kind of gossip surround your casting in a potential franchise film doesn't speak highly to your talents as a standalone performer. But the Peltz name has also been sullied in recent years thanks to events like Nelson Peltz's attempt to oust Bob Iger and other current Walt Disney Company leadership. In these activist investor activities, Peltz made tone-deaf comments that included lambasting lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe movies simply because they had diverse casts.

Being so deeply connected to a toxic man couldn't have helped Nicola Peltz's standing in Hollywood. Still, Jack Quaid is a highly in-demand actor despite the outrageous behavior of his uncle Randy Quaid. More likely than the actions of her relatives, Peltz's decrease in notoriety is simply due to her poorly received initial performances.

While mainstream theatrical cinema has been almost entirely absent of Nicola Peltz for the last decade, she has appeared in a handful of indie motion pictures. Interestingly, a few of these projects have even united Peltz with other hot young stars of the early 2010s, such as Grant Gustin in "Affluenza," Thomas Mann in "Our House," and Alex Pettyfer in "Back Roads." 

A handful of these productions have garnered decent reviews, with super tiny horror features "Our House" and "The Obituary of Tunde Johnson" getting the best marks from critics. Unfortunately, other indie cinema exploits anchored by Peltz didn't fare much better critically than her earlier studio features. Titles like "Youth in Oregon" and "Affluenza" were lambasted by critics and audiences alike. 

While Peltz appeared in a handful of these films from 2016 to 2019, her exploits in indie cinema didn't last long. After not leaving much of an impression in a smattering of motion pictures, she vanished from this space for five years until resurfacing with her directorial debut, "Lola," in 2024. Once again, Peltz needed to embrace something new in her career, like stepping behind the camera for the very first time.

In March 2021, Nicola Peltz announced a major new shift in her career trajectory. She wasn't just about to star in a new movie — she was also going to direct it. "Lola," her directorial debut, was filmed around Los Angeles and concerns Lola James (Peltz), who is trying to scrape together enough cash to save her and her brother from a toxic home environment. A slew of horrific, traumatic experiences, including sexual assault and the death of innocent people, ensues. 

The production was initially supposed to find Peltz (who also wrote the "Lola" script) sharing the director's chair with Bria Vinaite, star of Sean Baker's 2017 film "The Florida Project." This pairing suggested that Peltz hoped to make a movie channeling the kind of social realism that has defined Baker's acclaimed works. However, it was later reported that Vinaite left the production and had no involvement with "Lola" in its final form. 

In hindsight, having a Sean Baker veteran and actual working-class person like Vinaite on the set could have helped "Lola" immensely. The few souls that saw "Lola" despised it. These dismal reviews especially chastised Peltz's creative instincts as an actor, writer, and director for reducing poor people to caricatures. Major outlets mocked the title as being the obvious product of a billionaire's daughter trying to make a movie about financial circumstances she's never experienced. 14 years after "The Last Airbender," Peltz suffered another critical boondoggle with "Lola."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Nicola Peltz's post-"The Last Airbender" exploits haven't just been focused on various films and TV shows. She's also had an active personal life, including getting engaged to Brooklyn Beckham in 2020. The duo eventually got married in the spring of 2022 and have since been go-to fodder for tabloid magazines with their splashy appearances at grand events, such as the 2021 Met Gala. Her fashion choices have also become an object of fascination for many publications, particularly whenever she steps out of the house in garbs designed by Beckham's mother, Victoria.

Interestingly, her subsequent activities off-screen have not included commenting on "The Last Airbender." Even with a new live-action Netflix adaptation bringing Aang and company back into the flesh-and-blood world, Peltz has not, to date, mentioned or referenced her work as Katara in the 2020s. This is an interesting contrast to former "Percy Jackson" star Logan Lerman, who has openly shared his thoughts and support for the new live-action reboot of that character. Nicola Peltz's various current adventures simply don't involve looking back into the past. Instead, she's focused on a new marriage, directing, and promoting the controversial fashion brand Balenciaga.

While promoting "Lola" to Byrdie in early 2024, Nicola Peltz made it clear that she wasn't finished with her grand career ambitions. "I'm nowhere near where I want to be, not even close," Peltz proclaimed. "I just hope to continue to work with people I admire. I think that truly is the goal. Doing 'Lola' and working near such incredible people meant so much to me. I just gotta keep going." 

What her future prospects or end goals specifically look like are currently uncertain. As of this writing, Peltz has no future acting credits waiting in the wings, nor does she have further writing or directing work ready to go. Exempting her work in "Lola," her contributions to the film world have been nearly non-existent for half a decade. This makes it doubtful that future movie exploits are in her immediate future.

Perhaps this indicates that Peltz has ambitions tied to other artistic fields. Her constant Instagram posts in 2024 have offered no further clues, though, as to what those aims could be. Whatever her next step is, it's clear that Peltz isn't tied down to just her "Last Airbender" performance as Katara. In the nearly 15 years since that movie, Peltz has consistently tried to evolve. Granted, most of those subsequent attempts have been dismally received. However, Peltz still seems unfazed with those hurdles and is poised to pursue something else beyond her past acting and directing exploits.