It took a lot of effort to bring One Piece to life, with all of its outrageous antics, enormous swords, fish people, extravagant costumes, and insane Devil Fruit powers. But the creators of the series did the impossible and made it a successful live-action which is rare. The most difficult casting at the moment was for the role of the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy. The protagonist Luffy’s voyage, as he sets out to become “King of the Pirates” and recruit the first few members of the Straw Hats, is well-portrayed in live-action. Iñaki Godoy played the role of Luffy admirably.
Godoy’s portrayal of the role earned a lot of appreciation, even from the creator of the source material Eiichiro Oda himself. However, there was a major problem at the time that would have made the creators go with another actor for the role of Luffy.
Iñaki Godoy Almost Didn’t Get the Role of Monkey D. Luffy
Godoy’s performance as Luffy was one of the reasons why the series had so much success. Godoy takes some getting used to, yet he sticks out with his big smile and dreamy attitude. Godoy exudes a mesmerizing mix of limitless energy and wide-eyed awe that captivates the audience as he enacts his character on-screen. However, Godoy almost didn’t get the role of Luffy because of a problem with his traveling. The team was hesitant to hire Godoy because the series needed a lot of travel. After all, it was shot in Capetown, South Africa, and he was a minor at the time.
When President of Tomorrow Studios Becky Clements asked Godoy what his family thought about him taking on the role of Luffy, Godoy called his mother into the meeting and she expressed her excitement for her son’s achievement. At last, the family had to travel with Godoy while he shot the series.
Iñaki Godoy’s Had the Perfect Qualities to Become Luffy
While talking to TheWarp, Clements expressed the qualities they were looking for in the actor who would portray the role of Luffy to One Piece fans. She also stated that all of these qualities were seen in Godoy which is why he got the role. She said:
“He has to be uplifting, but he can’t be naive, but he has to be likable. He has to be everything: Strong, complicated, but earnest. When we saw [Iñaki Godoy], we all felt it.”
Godoy’s acting skills and qualities were not only liked by the Studio but also by the entire One Piece audience and they were able to accept him for the role of their favorite character who is going to be King of the Pirates someday.
