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Jamie Lee Curtis's One Piece ambitions might come true, as the Netflix showrunner wants it as well

Netflix’s One Piece co-showrunner Matt Owens revealed he wants Curtis as Dr. Kureha, a part she asked for on social media

Image credit: Fox, Toei Animation

So Jaime Lee Curtis loves One Piece. It’s not surprising, per se, the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once actor and legendary scream queen is a media connoisseur (you’ll recall, she’s got a graphic novel out right now). But what is newsworthy is that Curtis doesn’t just love the anime; she wants to be a part of the Netflix adaptation. In fact, she’s got a role selected.

And if one of the series’s showrunners has his way, she’ll get it.

Let’s back up a bit. On September 22, Curtis made a post to her Instagram featuring a picture of the character Dr. Kureha, a badass doctor and ally to the ragtag Straw Hat Pirates. Check out the post below:

Image credit: Instagram

And wow, did it get a lot of attention. Currently, the post is sitting at over 185K likes, with a few of those likes coming from the folks who’ve worked on One Piece. One of those likes was Matt Owens, one of the showrunners of the Netflix adaptation, who also commented:

“No need to lobby. Once we get what we deserve and get back to work, let’s talk!”

Cut to the present; Owens and the rest of the WGA are indeed back to work, after the end of the months-long strike for a better deal for writers. To celebrate his return, Owens spoke to the good folks at Deadline and, of course, the topic of Jaime Lee Curtis came up.

"We have opportunities to stunt cast some roles," Owens said "[...] and it came out that Jamie Lee Curtis is a One Piece fan. As soon as she said that, we were like, okay, we have to try and get her on the show. What can we do? And Doctor Kureha, very luckily, is a character who is coming up in our story, and is someone who is perfect for Jamie Lee Curtis."

Realize, this is before Curtis made the post on her Instagram. Apparently, Curtis as Kureha is written in the stars. Owens went on to say:

"After she won her Oscar, the writers room sent her a figure of Doctor Kureha with a nice note that said, “Congratulations on your statue, here’s another one to put next to it. Hope to speak to you soon.”

Exciting though the prospect may be, none of the discussions either Curtis or Owens have had about casting her in the role have happened in an official capacity. Remember, the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing, and no one's getting cast until a deal is struck.

But with One Piece already renewed on Netflix, the WGA strike over, and folks like Matt Owens back in the writers' room, we dare to hope.

Season One of the live-action One Piece is on Netflix now.


If you are a Jamie Lee Curtis fan that now feels compelled to get into the world of One Piece, congratulations. You're in for a fun ride. To help you enjoy it, check out Popverse's One Piece watch guide.

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy pairing of the two. He has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama, despite their better judgement. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kelsey, and corgi, Legs.

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