The producers of ONE PIECE talk about the search for the right actor to play Monkey D. Luffy

Inaki Godoythe actor has cast the role of Monkey D. Luffy in the Netflix live-action A piece series, he is absolutely perfect in the role! He is fantastic as this character and wonderfully brings it to life in a way that makes all fans happy. This guy is Luffy! The way he plays the character just makes me smile.

A piece executive producers, Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein AND Becky Clementsrecently spoke with Deadline about the series, and when talking about casting for the series, Clements specifically talked about choosing the right actor to play Luffy:

“We knew that finding Luffy was probably the most critical part of the entire show, someone who, when he smiles, lights up the screen like he does in the manga and anime. That was probably the part we were most worried about because he’s the cornerstone of the whole spirit of the show. And when we saw Iñaki, the consensus was unanimous. He has, as a human being, this great spirit, this enthusiasm in the way he approached the role. Once we got Iñaki, we could breathe. And he did it.

“Obviously acting ability is important but [the lead cast] they all embodied what we wanted to do with the live-action versions of these characters. Mackenyu, who is simply a gigantic talent and extremely famous in Japan. It’s a big role to play the character of Zoro, and he has such a magnetic presence and is such a phenomenal martial artist and fighter.

“Showrunner creator Matt Owens has known Emily Rudd for years and is a huge anime fan. Emily was actually the first person that he said, “I think Emily would make a great Nami,” and we said, “Oh, absolutely.” Each of these actors lives their lives in a very direct, present, interesting way. And they’re extremely close, they spend a lot of time together in South Africa and they travel all over the world and for us that’s been so validating.

Clements goes on to reveal that while they searched for Luffy, they saw over 100 actors from all over the world. He explained that while doing so, “they really tried to stay true to the backstory. the origin of all the characters created by Oda; we were focused on supporting him.

The producer was then asked what Iñaki’s reaction was when they told him she got the role, and she said:

“I think he screamed, he definitely laughed. She was with us on Zoom, he thanked everyone, he said that he will give his best. And then when we said, how does your family feel about it and if your parents have any questions about the production – because I think he was only 18, he was very young when he got the role – at that time, he involved his mother the Zoom shot and said, Well, my mom is right here, she can ask questions. And in that moment we knew what a great young man he was to have his parents sitting right next to him after receiving the good news.

Well, they definitely chose the right person for the role! I’m not sure anyone else would have been able to effectively pull off his contribution to the role. The actor previously spoke about the pressure of making a great One Piece series, saying:

“Obviously! Of course! Of course there was a lot of pressure. There’s a lot of responsibility in honoring a man’s 20-plus years of work, you know? He’s been writing this since he was 17. Not only does it honor Mr. Oda, but it also honors the anime. Mayumi Tanaka has been playing this character for so long. And also the way they’ve been making the anime for so long, and there are so many people who grew up with Luffy and the Straw Hats and the world of One Piece. So you want to respect it and you want to honor it.

“But if there’s one thing I learned from One Piece, it’s that even if things are challenging, you have to find a way to have fun. So yes, there was a lot of pressure, a lot of anxiety, but there was also a lot of fun! And there was so much love. And just like any adventure, it was exciting. You know, I was so excited to be a part of something so huge and incredible, and it’s an exciting adventure.

Godoy went on to talk about his character and how he sees it. He certainly demonstrates that he understands who Luffy is, saying:

“I think Luffy is a very kind person. And he also encourages people to follow their dreams. He doesn’t want to change anyone. He just wants to enjoy life and he will respect whatever you want to do as long as it doesn’t hinder anyone’s freedom. He encourages freedom, he himself is a free person. I think that appeals to people, because we all want freedom, right? We all need it. And he has a really beautiful smile.”

One of the main reasons why this One Piece series works so well is because of Godoy. It’s the rug that holds the room together and the creative team is lucky to have it!