One Piece Star Rob Colletti Opens Up on Epic Wapol Role
In an exclusive interview, Rob Colletti, the newcomer playing lead villain Wapol in Netflix's One Piece season 2, has candidly discussed the "arduous" yet "incredible" process behind his transformation. The actor revealed that the role required the hardest physical work of his career, surpassing even his Broadway experiences.
The Demanding Costume and Preparation
Colletti praised the "sensational" prosthetics and costume team for creating a bespoke suit of armour, which took about seven weeks to make. He explained, "I went out early before I started shooting for about two months to begin stunt training and have scans of my body to create what is essentially a personally fitted armour piece that took over the entire top half my body." The costume, made of printed plastic over hand-sewn leather and hand-painted to look aged, weighed approximately 75-80 pounds.
The actor highlighted the challenges: "It's very heavy, it weighs about 75-80lbs, more so is how dauntingly restricting it is to move in. Also it gets to be about 120 Fahrenheit inside of the suit which is again probably 45 degrees, very hot, so they would also have an additional layer of a cooling suit vest which would pipe ice water along my torso to try and lower the temperature." Each day, he spent up to three hours in the makeup chair as the costume was applied.
Physical Toll and Rewarding Experience
Colletti admitted, "It's the hardest I have ever worked physically as an actor. Including doing quite a bit of Broadway, we do eight shows a week, and that's quite daunting. It really takes a toll on the body. This, even just the five months I was out there working, wearing this suit was certainly the hardest I have ever had to work." Despite the difficulties, he described the project as the "most rewarding," noting that the armour activated an unexpected physicality that enhanced his performance.
He shared, "I could have never anticipated this, but putting on the armour sort of activated within me a physicality I didn't expect and I couldn't have even predicted in reading the scripts. It was difficult but incredibly inspiring. It was one of the most unique experiences I could have had as well."
Fan Expectations and On-Set Moments
Given the massive fandom of One Piece, Colletti expressed initial intimidation, saying, "I was really intimidated at first, it was clear this was going to be a massive responsibility. My biggest hope with my performance was that I honour the fans. I have been very pleasantly surprised because the fans are also incredibly kind and they have been so welcoming. For me, that's really meaningful because it's my first very large opportunity."
Filming in Cape Town, South Africa for nearly half a year, he recalled a standout set: "They built incredible, opulent, detailed sets including a throne room I had. I really got to take in the work the production team had done, building this massive room that could have fit hundreds of people in it, a giant 30ft tall fireplace, massive paintings with myself rendered into these homages to real paintings in history. I had a stained glass window behind me, just walking into that space, feeling it on the day, it was the first 'pinch me' moment of the scale of the project I was working on."
Cast Relationships and Future Hopes
Colletti emphasized the positive atmosphere on set, stating, "The most magical part was the relationships I formed with the cast members. You hear horror stories about how there can be divas and attitudes and there was none of that. Everyone I worked with was so kind and welcoming and empowering and supportive, they are all creative geniuses. I feel like I have made friends for life and I will go back to One Piece as often as they will have me."
One Piece season 2, titled Into the Grand Line, follows Luffy and the Straw Hats as they sail into the dangerous Grand Line. The series has already been renewed for a third season and is available to stream on Netflix.
