Ever since the first season of One Piece live-action was released, the one thing that has remained constant is the fans’ love for the cast of the series. Among the cast members, the one who has earned the respect of fans the most is Mackenyu, who plays Roronoa Zoro. Zoro is one of the most difficult characters to play in One Piece, but Mackenyu made it look like a walk in a park.
Not only carrying three swords but using them and following every emotion of the character perfectly is something that only a dedicated actor like Mackenyu could have done. However, the one who recognized his real talent was Eiichiro Oda. Oda desperately wanted Mackenyu to be a part of One Piece live-action after looking at his work in Japanese cinema.
His desperation is reflected in the fact that he approached Mackenyu twice for the role of Zoro, as he initially rejected it unintentionally. This proves that even before the project started, Oda had trust in Mackenyu, and the actor certainly lived up to everyone’s expectations.
Mackenyu’s Cinema Journey is an Inspiration for Many
Although Mackenyu comes from a family of actors, he has made his place in the world by earning every ounce of respect and fame on his own. He has been interested in the film and TV industry since he was a child, and he made sure that he followed this interest wholeheartedly.
Mackenyu’s career started early on in his life, and he got his first lead role in 2015 in Take a Chance. From there on, he never looked back and climbed the ladder of success as he kept starring in movies and TV shows one after another. He even did a bunch of other live-action projects like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Chapter I, Tokyo Ghoul S, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar, etc.
At a young age, Mackenyu became one of the most acclaimed actors in Japanese cinema, and he even earned multiple accolades for his work. The biggest award he has received is the Japan Academy Film Prize in 2017 for the Chihayafuru series as the Best Newcomer of the Year.
Eiichiro Oda Recognized Mackenyu’s Talents
It has become a known fact that Eiichiro Oda was responsible for a lot of things in the first season of One Piece live-action, and one of them was casting. The manga creator made sure that the actors selected were the perfect match for their characters, as authenticity was important for the series.
Thus, he was the one who selected Mackenyu for the role of Roronoa Zoro, and his choice was perfect. Oda knew Mackenyu had acted in other live-action projects, so he understood the complexities of a character like Zoro and the effort that would go into bringing him to life. Which is why he desperately wanted Mackenyu for the role.
In fact, he was probably the only actor who knew that he was auditioning for the role of Zoro, as he initially rejected the audition. Mackenyu once revealed that as he was busy with another movie, he did not want to divert his attention elsewhere, but when he was approached again and told about the making of One Piece live-action, he instantly agreed to the opportunity.
One Piece live-action is available to watch on Netflix.
