The highly anticipated One Piece live-action adaptation is finally available to stream on Netflix, and in the first season, viewers are introduced to all the main characters from the manga, including Koby, portrayed by Morgan Davies.
Koby is one of the first people Luffy meets on his journey to become King of the Pirates. He finds himself in captivity at the hands of Captain Alvida and her band of pirates. But Koby’s real dream is to become a Marine, the law enforcer within One Piece.
However, Monkey D. Luffy arrives in the nick of time to liberate him from Alvida’s grasp, granting him his long-awaited freedom. Now, Koby can embark on his aspiration of becoming a Marine, but the path ahead is fraught with challenges.
Morgan Davies is an Australian actor who previously starred in Evil Dead Rise, Terra Nova, and The Girlfriend Experience.
The One Piece star came out as transgender at the age of 13. The actor shared his story in an interview about how he went through extreme pain after coming out as transgender.
For Morgan Davies, Acting is Like a Superpower
Now 21, the acclaimed young actor was born female, as Morgana Davies. He was only seven when he first auditioned for a role in a film. In the conversation, he recalls and said:
“I loved it so much I begged the casting director to let me audition again and she said to come back the next week but that I probably wouldn’t get the part because it was a French production. And I got it!”
He says for him, acting is like oxygen, a natural and essential part of living:
“I really like becoming someone else and even back then I did too. I’ve always really cared how people see me, so I liked being able to switch off [who I am] and instead bring someone else to life. It’s like a superpower.”
Everything was good until he turned 13:
“At 13 I came out as trans, just to mum and Catherine [his best friend] and a few close friends. I was going through a lot, thinking: ‘Who the f–k am I and where am I going?”
It was an exceedingly challenging period, and while those he confided in provided support, he wasn’t prepared to disclose this to his peers, let alone to the general viewing public.
Morgan Davies started to experience anxiety while on set, harboring the belief that he could no longer perform and that his true self would be revealed at any given moment.
Oberon’s story was very like mine – Morgan Davies
A turning point occurred with the role of Oberon in the TV series The End. At the age of 16, when his agent initially proposed it, he had flatly declined. Primarily because of the deeply personal nature of Oberon’s struggles with transitioning, forming romantic relationships, and seeking acceptance.
“Oberon’s story was very like mine, he was really depressed and I was a very depressed teenager and I knew I’d have to go back into that and that it might make me feel worse. And it did”.
In retrospect, Davies views the role as a precious opportunity and is immensely thankful to have portrayed it. He acknowledges the awareness it raises about the numerous challenges confronting transgender individuals, as well as the support he aspires it provides to other struggling transgender teenagers. He says:
“I would do it all again. I feel like if I saw a show like this when I was younger maybe I wouldn’t have felt so horrible.”
Nonetheless, he aspires to witness more roles for transgender actors depicting fulfilling lives, a possibility he is now realizing is attainable after all.
And now, he is showcasing his acting talent as Koby in Netflix’s One Piece live-action adaptation.
The One Piece live-action is premiered on Netflix globally.
Source: Vogue
