A kid for all seasons

At 10 years old, Isaac Solstein already boasts many accomplishments

By ISABEL BRAVERMAN

BETHEL, NY — He’s not in the circus, but 10-year-old Isaac Solstein sure is one great balancing act. Before, he was a national karate champion; now he can add lead actor in a multi-million dollar movie to his list.

Solstein is one of the lead characters in M. Night Shayamalan’s production of “Avatar: The Last Air Bender.” Due to contractual agreements, Solstein can only say that he is playing the part of “Earth bending boy,” although many Internet fan sites are predicting that his character is Haru. The movie is based on the popular Nickelodeon children’s cartoon series of the same name.

Filming took place this year in Philadelphia and other locations around Pennsylvania. A typical day on set for Solstein included going to his trailer to rehearse the lines for that day, getting hair and makeup done and putting his costume on, and then shooting for the rest of the day. Solstein, along with the other younger lead cast members, were tutored on set so they could keep up with their schooling. Solstein now attends school in New York City after living in Bethel and going to the Homestead School in Glen Spey. Of shooting the movie, Solstein said, “I met a lot of people, I made a lot of friends and I learned a lot; it was a great experience.”

Although Solstein is new to movie productions, this being his first movie, he is no stranger to stage productions. Since the age of five he has been acting in plays and musicals put on by the Forestburgh Playhouse, including the character of Gavroche in the recently completed run of “Les Miserables.” Last year, Isaac decided that he wanted to pursue acting, so he got an agent. The next part happened very quickly—he took some head shots, auditioned for “Avatar” and got the job. Originally Solstein auditioned for a smaller part, but the casting directors were so impressed with his audition that they moved him up to one of the lead characters. When asked how he felt when that happened, Solstein responded, “I was extremely happy—using one of my vocabulary words from school, I was jubilant.”

Solstein wants to continue acting, and although he has no other projects in the works right now, he is going to auditions. He almost landed a lead part in another movie, but although his acting was extraordinary, the movie called for a specific type. Solstein, being Asian-American, was perfect for “Avatar,” which takes place in ancient Asia, although his ethnicity may be a hindrance for jobs requiring a certain type. His karate skills also came in handy. Although he is not permitted to say if he used karate in the movie, he was trained in a South Korean style for it.

Solstein started karate at around the age of four. At first he was nervous because he thought “they were just going to kick me,” but he soon realized it was a lot of fun. Isaac trains in Liberty, NY with Master Joe Poppo. He is a 2008 National Karate champion and was crowned Grand Champion of all Junior Dan at NY State’s Empire championship and again at the Western Connecticut Championship, both in the last two months. Isaac will be in this year’s National Championship in San Diego in August.

Isaac’s life is nothing short of hectic. Between shooting a major motion picture and attending national karate competitions, and being only 10 years old, it is a life that most people could not imagine. But Isaac manages it with all the grace and power of a karate kick. He stays in the city for school, and then comes back home on Fridays to train at his karate studio in Liberty.

Balancing two major acts, along with a stage career, this 10-year-old is quite impressive. He said every time he gets on stage “I get this tickle in my spine.” After seeing Solstein’s many talents, surely viewers will too.