Netflix's One Piece Live Action season 2 announces casting for Dr. Kureha and Dr. Hiriluk

Modified Aug 21, 2024 14:30 GMT

Netflix's One Piece Live Action season 2 announces casting for Dr. Kureha and Dr. Hiriluk (Image via Toei Animation)

Wednesday, August 21, 20244 saw two key One Piece Live Action season 2 casting announcements made via the official X (formerly Twitter) for the Netflix series. These castings are Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, and Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk. This announcement marks the start of a string of three days which will see key cast members for the upcoming second season announced ahead of Netflix’s Geeked Week 2024.

Unfortunately, these One Piece Live Action season 2 casting announcements also bring with them the final confirmation that Jamie Lee Curtis will not be playing Dr. Kureha in the series. While Tomorrow Studios and several producers on the series shared this news in a recent interview, fans were holding out hope that it was all a ruse to build hype. However, Sagal’s official casting in the role confirms beyond any doubt that this is not the case.

Latest One Piece Live Action season 2 castings include Sons of Anarchy star, Jurassic Park III actor

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In live-action, the first of the two newest One Piece Live Action season 2 stars Katey Sagal is likely best known for her role as Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy. In this role, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama in 2011. She’s also well known for her role as Peggy Bundy on Married… with Children, Turanga Leela on Futurama, and Cate Hennessy on 8 Simple Rules.

Mark Harelik’s most recognizable roles, meanwhile, likely include his performance as Ben Hildebrand in Jurassic Park III and as himself/God in Preacher. Additional notable roles include appearances on Seinfeld, Cheers, Monk, Bones, Grey’s Anatomy, House, The Big Bang Theory, and Breaking Bad. Harelik is also a respected playwright, with his most notable work being his 1985 play The Immigrant.

Fans are excited about both castings, but particularly so for Sagal, whose acting chops are very synergistic with the type of role she’ll be playing in Dr. Kureha. Her aforementioned Sons of Anarchy and Married… with Children roles are specifically notable in this context, as she plays a mother or motherly figure in each series.

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Harelik, meanwhile, is lesser known as a household name but still widely respected in both the field of Hollywood and theatrical acting. His wide and vast experience as an actor have fans confident that he can perform the esteemed role of Dr. Hiriluk as it needs to be. Moreover, with casting being considered one of the strong suits of the series’ first season, fans’ confidence is likewise further inspired.

Netflix’s One Piece Live Action season 2 serves as the continuation of their adaptation of author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series of the same name. Oda’s original manga began in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in July 1997, and is still ongoing today, but actively progressing through its final saga.