Emily Rudd from One Piece enjoys Nami's style transformation just as much as you do.

      When Matt Owens informed Emily Rudd about adapting One Piece, the renowned manga series by Eiichiro Oda, for Netflix, she was utterly astonished. "I thought, 'Whoa, that one?! Making it live-action is the toughest challenge,'" she shares during a Zoom call from her Cape Town, South Africa apartment, where she is currently working on the show's third season. Although Rudd has passionately consumed anime and manga since childhood, One Piece always felt like a monumental task. Diving into a series with over 100 volumes and 1155 episodes was, to say the least, daunting. Watching the anime seemed like an overwhelming endeavor, and creating a live-action adaptation felt almost impossible to her. However, after Owens encouraged her, she finally gave the series a chance, which transformed her life forever. Unsurprisingly, One Piece has become a tremendous hit for Netflix, and for Rudd—who portrays Nami, the determined navigator with fiery red hair of the Straw Hat Crew—it's been filled with "pinch me" experiences. The highly awaited second season garnered 16.8 million views in its opening weekend, and with the addition of popular cast members (including fan-favorite Chopper and David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3), production for season 3 is already in progress without any signs of slowing down. Rudd, nearly unrecognizable without her orange wig and signature blue-and-white Nami baseball tee, joins our call after a long day of shooting to talk about Nami's wardrobe details, feeling appreciated by stylist Enrique Melendez, and the cinematic wonder that is Treasure Planet.

      How's life in Cape Town? It's fantastic. This is my third season here, so it feels like a second home. Back in season 1, everything was new, and we enjoyed meeting locals and hiking Lion's Head. Last season, I was completely exhausted and turned into a hermit. Now, I've managed to find a balance where I think, "What if I just live my normal life as I would anywhere else?" I’m doing pottery on weekends and going bouldering at a couple of indoor gyms I like. I also visit the local farmers market. It's really laid-back. Since we didn't get a chance to talk during season 1, let's go back to the beginning. I read that you were a fan of the original One Piece manga and anime series. How did you first get into One Piece? I grew up watching anime. I have an older brother named Daniel, and as a little sister, I would do whatever he did or watch whatever he watched, so we started watching anime together. Pokémon was always on, along with Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z. So we watched those as a duo and stuck with it. One Piece is enormous. It holds legendary status. I think anyone who is into anime or manga knows about One Piece; generally, the main hurdle is that it's a very lengthy series. That was what held me back. I managed to get through Hunter x Hunter, which is about six or seven seasons long, but I wasn’t sure I could commit to One Piece. Then, I got to know our season 1 showrunner, Matt Owens, through our mutual agency. They suggested, "Hey, you two are nerds; you should connect." He told me, "I’m bringing One Piece to Netflix," and I thought, "Whoa, that one? That’s the hardest one to adapt into live-action." He encouraged me to watch it, and I did—absolutely falling in love with it. The story is remarkable. There’s a reason it’s the longest-running anime and series. I got hooked, and a few years later, auditions were announced, and I was thrilled to have the chance to audition. After a couple of months of waiting and hoping, I received a call saying I got the role off just one tape. I don’t even know how many countries they searched; the audition process was extensive. I’m very fortunate they chose me.

      When you were watching the show, did you imagine yourself as Nami specifically or any other characters? I think it was definitely Nami. It was during our season 1 or the East Blue Saga in the anime and manga that her moment of asking for help really drew me in. I remember first seeing it and crying. That moment made me think, "If I could have one chance, I’d want to play Nami." Nami is a character that came quite naturally to you. In what ways could you relate to her early on? Having watched the anime and read the manga provided me with a solid grasp of the overarching story. Normally, when handed a script, you have to deconstruct it: What’s the story? What’s this character about? Their background? However, due to Oda's work, so much was already provided for actors, which made it easier to