One Piece live-action cast: Where have you seen them before?

The logo for the Netflix One Piece live-action series (Image via Netflix)
The logo for the Netflix One Piece live-action series (Image via Netflix)

With the start of the new year, anime fans are obsessively asking exactly when Netflix’s One Piece live-action series will release its first trailer. Unfortunately, there is currently no news or rumors on when it will arrive.

What fans do have is a good idea of what the first season of the One Piece live-action series will cover, as well as key cast members. All five East Blue crew members of the Straw Hats have been cast and officially revealed, as have other key characters set to appear briefly throughout the first season.

While many fans were initially confused about who the actors cast as the Straw Hats were, others recognized them from some of their previous works.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down exactly where fans may have seen the One Piece live-action cast before.


One Piece live-action core cast is full of fresh faces, with some fans recognizing actors from previous works

1) Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy)

Iñaki Godoy is an actor of Mexican descent, born on August 25, 2003, in Mexico City. He will play Monkey D. Luffy in the One Piece live-action series.

One of Godoy's most notable credits is a Netflix series called The Imperfects, in which he plays another leading role.

His past credits include the following:

  • Blue Demon TV series, 2016
  • La Querida del Centauro TV series, 2016-2017
  • Por la Máscara: La Serie Web TV mini series, 2018
  • Sin Miedo a la Verdad TV series, 2019
  • Los Elegidos TV series, 2019
  • Go Youth! film, 2020
  • Who Killed Sara? TV series, 2021
  • The Imperfects TV series, 2022
  • MexZombies film, 2022

2) Mackenyu Arata (Roronoa Zoro)

Mackenyu Arata is an American-born Japanese actor born on November 16, 1996. He is the son of notable Japanese actor, producer, director, and martial artist Sonny Chiba.

Arata is most prominently known for his role as Okuyasu Nijimura in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable live-action film. He has had roles in several notable live-action anime adaptations before being cast in One Piece, including the following:

  • Chihayafuru Part I and Part II films, 2016
  • Chihayafuru Part III film, 2018
  • Chihayafuru: Connect film, 2018
  • Tokyo Ghoul: ‘S’ film, 2019
  • Kaiji: Final Game film, 2020
  • Ruruoni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part 1 - The Final film, 2021
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar film, 2022
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Final Transmutation film, 2022

3) Taz Skylar (Sanji)

Taz Skylar is an actor of Spanish descent who was born on December 5, 1995. He gained fame due to his immense natural talent and overall appearance. He was nominated for an Olivier Award as a writer and made his feature film debut in 2019’s The Kill Team. The actor has done both onstage and onscreen performances.

Fans may recognize Skylar, who is set to play Sanji in Netflix’s One Piece live-action series, from the following:

  • The Reserves TV series, 2018-2019
  • Villain film, 2020
  • Boiling Point film, 2021
  • Dead Silent short, 2022
  • The Deal film, 2022
  • The Lazarus Project TV series, 2022

4) Emily Rudd (Nami)

Set to play Nami in Netflix’s One Piece live-action series, Emily Rudd is an American actress born on February 24, 1993. Fans may recognize her from her appearances in Netflix’s Fear Street horror film trilogy, where she played Cindy Berman.

She’s also known for several music video appearances for popular artists such as 3LAU, Brandon Flowers, Motion City Soundtrack, as well as DJ Snake and Justin Bieber. Beyond these credits, fans may recognize the actress from her performances in the following:

  • Sea Change TV movie, 2017
  • Electric Dreams TV series, 2018
  • The Romanoffs TV series, 2018
  • Dynasty TV series, 2020
  • Moonshot film, 2022
  • Hunters Season 2 TV series, 2023

5) Jacob Romero Gibson (Usopp)

Jacob Romero Gibson is an actor of South African descent who is likely best known for his one-episode appearance on the hit American TV series Grey’s Anatomy. Beyond this and Netflix’s One Piece live-action series, where Gibson will play Usopp, he has a wide range of credits in various forms of performative media.

Fans may recognize Gibson from some of his work in the following:

  • Under Water: Dive Deep short, 2016
  • The Resident TV series, 2018
  • All Rise TV series, 2019
  • Grey’s Anatomy TV series, 2019
  • Snake Eyes short, 2019
  • Greenleaf TV series, 2019-2020

6) Peter Gadiot (Shanks)

Peter Gadiot as seen in Queen of the South (Image via USA Network)
Peter Gadiot as seen in Queen of the South (Image via USA Network)

One of the most exciting castings of Netflix’s One Piece live-action series is Peter Gadiot as fan-favorite Shanks.

Gadiot, born January 2, 1986, is a British actor raised in the United Kingdom. He is likely best known for his role as James Valdez in the smash-hit series Queen of the South.

Gadiot’s other notable credits include the following:

  • The Forbidden Girl film, 2013
  • Once Upon a Time in Wonderland TV series, 2013-2014
  • Supergirl TV series, 2017
  • Yellowjackets TV series, 2021
  • Another Girl film, 2021

7) Vincent Regan (Garp)

Vincent Regan as seen in Before We Die (Image via PBS)
Vincent Regan as seen in Before We Die (Image via PBS)

Vincent Regan is set to star in the Netflix One Piece live-action series as Garp.

Regan, born May 16, 1965, is a British film and television actor. His most notable credits include roles in 300, Troy, Unleashed, Clash of the Titans, and Lockout. He’s most likely the biggest name currently attached to the live-action adaptation.

Regan’s other notable credits include the following:

  • Rescue Me TV series, 2002
  • Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance film, 2011
  • Camelot TV series, 2011
  • Atlantis TV series, 2014
  • Dark Encounter film, 2019
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom film, 2023

8) Morgan Davies (Koby)

Australian actor Morgan Davies, born November 27, 2001, is set to play Koby in the upcoming One Piece live-action series from Netflix.

Davies' film debut came as a child actor in the film, The Tree, beginning a successful career in general Australian film and television media. One notable role stems from the 2020 series The End, where Davies stars as a trans teen in the process of gender transitioning. Other notable roles include the following:

  • The Hunter film, 2011
  • Devil’s Playground TV series, 2014
  • Breath film, 2014
  • The Girlfriend Experience TV series, 2017
  • Calliope’s Prelude short film, 2019
  • Storm Boy film, 2019

9) Jeff Ward (Buggy the Clown)

Jeff Ward as Charles Manson in Manson's Lost Girls (Image via Lifetime)
Jeff Ward as Charles Manson in Manson's Lost Girls (Image via Lifetime)

Jeff Ward is set to play fan-favorite character Buggy the Clown in Netflix’s One Piece live-action adaptation.

Ward is an American actor who was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Radnor, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He began acting in theatrical productions before landing his most recognizable roles as Charles Manson in Manson’s Lost Girls and Deke Shaw in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Other notable credits include the following:

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent TV series, 2005
  • Vamperifica film, 2012
  • The Girlfriend Came film, 2015
  • The Mentalist TV series, 2015
  • Plus One film, 2019
  • Hacks TV series, 2021

10) McKinley Belcher III (Arlong)

McKinley Belcher III as seen in an interview (Image via Twitter user @McKinleyBcubed)
McKinley Belcher III as seen in an interview (Image via Twitter user @McKinleyBcubed)

Last but certainly not least, McKinley Belcher III is set to play Arlong in Netflix’s One Piece live-action adaptation.

Born March 23, 1984, Belcher is best known for his performances in the PBS series Mercy Street, Fox drama The Passage, and smash-hit Netflix original crime thriller Ozark.

Belcher began his career in stage acting, making him yet another cast member with incredible talent and versatile range. Other notable credits include the following:

  • Law & Order: Los Angeles TV series, 2010
  • Rizzoli & Isles TV series, 2011
  • Louie TV series, 2012
  • Power TV series, 2014-2017
  • Ozark TV series, 2017-2020
  • Marriage Story film, 2019
  • The Good Lord Bird TV series, 2020-present

Follow Sportskeeda for more anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.

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