Noah Ringer
Encyclopedia
Noah Andrew Ringer is an American
teen actor
of American Indian
heritage and a martial arts
practitioner. He starred as Aang
in the 2010 film The Last Airbender
and played Emmett in Cowboys & Aliens
.
. He was a shy child growing up. When he was ten, his mom 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
.
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.
In July 2008, Pechacek received an email from the ATA, inviting any interested students to audition for the yet cast 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.
Ringer plays the role of Emmett Taggart in Cowboys & Aliens, a sci-fi
western
film directed by Jon Favreau
.
Ringer is signed with Creative Artists Agency.
In March 2011, Ringer was nominated for Best Performance In A Feature Film By A Leading Young Actor for the 32nd Annual Young Artist Awards
.
In May 2011, Ringer won the 3rd Annual SkyKid.Com "Coming of Age" Best Actor movie award for his performance in The Last Airbender.
. He won first place in every category he competed in. After watching the "extreme" routines at that tournament, Ringer decided to start training in Extreme Martial Arts
, or XMA, which involved him choreographing his own moves and choosing his own music. He became proficient with a variety of Eastern weapons, including the bo staff
, which his character Aang uses. During his first two years with the ATA, Ringer competed in 25 tournaments, winning 100 medals, 80 of them gold. He was given "The Competitor of the Year" award for the Texas region in February 2008. Ringer won the 2008-2009 title of Texas State Champion in five categories: Traditional Forms, Traditional Weapons, Sparring, X-Treme Forms, and X-Treme Weapons.
For The Last Airbender, Ringer learned baguazhang
, t'ai chi, and wushu
. These styles are "soft," compared to taekwondo, which is a "hard" style. Ringer continues to train in American taekwondo. In October 2010, he earned his second degree black belt. Ringer teaches other students in the ATA, as part of the Leadership Program. He also does gymnastics
and has started to learn Choy Li Fut
kung fu
.
. He does not watch TV often, but he does have DVDs of his favorite shows (The Cosby Show
and Avatar: The Last Airbender
) and favorite movies (Remember the Titans
, The Greatest Game Ever Played
, and The Blind Side
). Ringer's favorite actor is Denzel Washington
. He has two dogs and two pet rats.
Besides acting and martial arts, Ringer has a wide variety of interests. He loves sports, like wrestling, golf, tennis, basketball, table tennis, and snow skiing. He enjoys reading, creating and editing videos, practicing magic, and hanging out with his friends. Ringer also takes part in various local events and charities. He has his own personal Facebook
page, on which he posts frequently.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teen actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
of American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
heritage and a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
practitioner. He starred as Aang
Aang
Aang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
in the 2010 film The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a live-action film adaptation of the first season to the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender....
and played Emmett in Cowboys & Aliens
Cowboys & Aliens (film)
Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg...
.
Life and career
Ringer was born in Dallas, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was a shy child growing up. When he was ten, his mom enrolled him at ATA Martial Arts in Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
, Texas, part of the American Taekwondo Association
American Taekwondo Association
The American Taekwondo Association was founded in 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska by Haeng Ung Lee of South Korea. It is one of the largest taekwondo organizations in the United States, and in association with the Songahm Taekwondo Federation and World Traditional Taekwondo Union , is one of the largest...
, or ATA. Initially reluctant to go, Ringer quickly fell in love with it. He showed early promise and soon began competing in tournaments
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
. In December 2008, at age twelve, Ringer earned his first degree
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
.
Ringer kept his head shaved, and fellow students nicknamed him "Avatar," after the character Aang in the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
. 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.
In July 2008, Pechacek received an email from the ATA, inviting any interested students to audition for the yet cast 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
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
. 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.
Ringer plays the role of Emmett Taggart in Cowboys & Aliens, a sci-fi
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
film directed by Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
.
Ringer is signed with Creative Artists Agency.
In March 2011, Ringer was nominated for Best Performance In A Feature Film By A Leading Young Actor for the 32nd Annual Young Artist Awards
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
.
In May 2011, Ringer won the 3rd Annual SkyKid.Com "Coming of Age" Best Actor movie award for his performance in The Last Airbender.
Martial arts
Ringer's first ATA tournament was the World Championships in ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. He won first place in every category he competed in. After watching the "extreme" routines at that tournament, Ringer decided to start training in Extreme Martial Arts
Extreme martial arts
Xtreme Martial Arts or XMA is a brand name owned by Michael Chaturantabut. Chaturantabut's XMA is a combination of elements from martial arts, acrobatics, and gymnastics, with an emphasis on showmanship....
, or XMA, which involved him choreographing his own moves and choosing his own music. He became proficient with a variety of Eastern weapons, including the bo staff
Bo
-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
, which his character Aang uses. During his first two years with the ATA, Ringer competed in 25 tournaments, winning 100 medals, 80 of them gold. He was given "The Competitor of the Year" award for the Texas region in February 2008. Ringer won the 2008-2009 title of Texas State Champion in five categories: Traditional Forms, Traditional Weapons, Sparring, X-Treme Forms, and X-Treme Weapons.
For The Last Airbender, Ringer learned baguazhang
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
, t'ai chi, and wushu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
. These styles are "soft," compared to taekwondo, which is a "hard" style. Ringer continues to train in American taekwondo. In October 2010, he earned his second degree black belt. Ringer teaches other students in the ATA, as part of the Leadership Program. He also does gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and has started to learn Choy Li Fut
Cai li fo
Cai Li Fo or Choy Li Fut is a Chinese martial art founded in 1836 by Chan Heung . Choy Li Fut was named to honor the Buddhist monk Choy Fook who taught him Choy Gar, and Li Yau-San who taught him Li Gar, plus his uncle Chan Yuen-Wu , who taught him Fut Gar, and developed to honor the Buddha...
kung fu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
.
Personal life
Ringer is homeschooledHomeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
. He does not watch TV often, but he does have DVDs of his favorite shows (The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
) and favorite movies (Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
, The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Greatest Game Ever Played is a 2005 biographical sports film based on the early life of golf champion Francis Ouimet. The film was directed by Bill Paxton; Shia LaBeouf plays the role of Ouimet. It is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures...
, and The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
). Ringer's favorite actor is Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
. He has two dogs and two pet rats.
Besides acting and martial arts, Ringer has a wide variety of interests. He loves sports, like wrestling, golf, tennis, basketball, table tennis, and snow skiing. He enjoys reading, creating and editing videos, practicing magic, and hanging out with his friends. Ringer also takes part in various local events and charities. He has his own personal Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, on which he posts frequently.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Aang Aang Aang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one... |
3rd Annual SkyKid.Com "Coming of Age" Best Actor movie award Nominated — Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... for Best Performance in a Feature Film (Leading Young Actor) Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with the entire cast) |
|
| 2011 | Cowboys & Aliens Cowboys & Aliens (film) Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg... |
Emmett |