One Piece’s Live-Action Luffy Actor Shares Heartwarming Set Photos & Celebrates Netflix Show As Actors Strike Ends

One Piece’s Iñaki Godoy reflects on his breakout role as the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, sharing photos and reflections on social media as the actors strike comes to an end. A live-action fantasy adventure based on the ongoing manga of the same name, One Piece became a solid hit for Netflix upon its debut in August and gained a quick season 2 renewal. The story, which was developed by Steven Maeda and Matt Owens, follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates and their captain, Luffy.

On Instagram, Godoy posted photos of his time on One Piece season 1, writing reflectively about his experience with the show now that the actors strike has tentatively concluded. Due to the show’s debut during the strike, Godoy and his co-stars were unable to promote or even discuss any part of it until now.

The actor shared behind-the-scenes snapshots in the post, writing about his gratitude at the chance to become the live-action Luffy. The caption reads in part, “It makes me happy that more people around the world can get to know this super awesome captain and his crew.”

Casting Luffy Was A Challenge For Netflix

In a sign of the franchise’s importance to the streamer, Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos spoke about the difficulty of casting Luffy. While speaking about Netflix’s third-quarter earnings, Sarandos touched on One Piece and said, “One of the most difficult casting challenges in the history of our original programming was who’s gonna play Monkey D. Luffy.” Sarandos’ remarks were in the context of praising Godoy, who had collaborated with Netflix before.

The actor had appeared in a few Netflix programs before, most notably in the Mexican mystery thriller Who Killed Sara?. There, he played the recurring role of a teenager named Bruno. It’s an entirely different vibe from the jovial and strangely gifted Luffy. However, it speaks to Godoy’s fitness for a live-action performance that came with a set of expectations from a devoted fanbase.

It also speaks to the importance of casting relative unknowns. Some of Netflix’s biggest shows, whether it’s Wednesday, Cobra Kai, or Bridgerton, were headlined by relative newcomers that have gone on to become sought-after stars. The same could hold for the entire One Piece cast, with Godoy already being lauded for his leading performance.

Source: Iñaki Godoy/Instagram