OPLA! #12: "Tony Tony Meisner" (with Mark Harelik)

Summary

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The One Piece Podcast: OPLA! #12 “Tony Tony Meisner” (with Mark Harelik)

Podcast: The One Piece Podcast
Episode: OPLA! #12: "Tony Tony Meisner"
Host: Maji Media (Zach, with Steve Yurko, Alex, and Delaney)
Guest: Mark Harelik (Dr. Hiriluk, One Piece Live Action)
Date: April 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of OPLA! focuses on the One Piece Live Action Netflix series, specifically the Drum Island arc and Dr. Hiriluk, with a special interview featuring Mark Harelik, the actor behind the beloved doctor. The hosts—Zach, Steve, Alex, and Delaney—discuss their reactions to Harelik’s portrayal, explore the adaptation process, acting insights, and the emotional weight of Hiriluk’s role. The episode delves deep into the theme of vulnerability, cultural adaptation, and what it means to create impactful art, both as performers and as fans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Mark Harelik & The Importance of Dr. Hiriluk

• Zach recognizes Mark from Star Trek: Voyager, setting a playful and admiring tone for the interview ([09:03]).
• Mark shares his thoughts on acting:
  • Quote: “I don’t enjoy my work and I don’t enjoy the act of working. I enjoy having work… But Star Trek I enjoyed and One Piece I enjoyed.” ([10:12])
• Discussion of Hiriluk’s place in One Piece—his emotional journey, the strong impact of his death, and how the character stands apart by concluding his story arc within the episodic structure ([13:38]).

2. Acting Process & Getting Into Character

• Mark’s approach to Dr. Hiriluk stemmed from the character’s outward design (hair/wig):
  • “The gateway to Dr. Hiriluk was his hair… Either he made his hair look like that, or his hair took on the energy that’s coming from inside.” ([18:21])
• The symbolism of the white cross in his hair, and how it inspired Mark to embody a "visual manifestation of his life energy" ([19:30]).
• Physical comedy and the challenges of the elaborate wig—stories about hitting door frames and working with the costume team ([22:01]).

3. Hiriluk’s Vulnerability & Thematic Resonance

• Hiriluk’s grand gesture (stripping to prove he’s unarmed) is discussed as emblematic of One Piece's balance of humor and deep emotion.
  • Quote: “It’s an extreme gesture… I will effing show you.” ([28:56])
• Mark is moved by Hiriluk’s paternal feelings for Chopper:
  • “In the last scene, he refers to Chopper as his son… That just killed me. That, that means… before he met Chopper, he had nobody.” ([33:43])

4. Adapting One Piece’s Emotional and Visual Language

• The hosts and Mark discuss how Hollywood adaptations often sanitise or tone down anime/manga’s emotional extravagance, but One Piece embraces it:
  • “Some adaptations… want the cool, but they don’t want the big hair and the goofy faces… This episode embraces that theatricality.” (Delaney, [35:08])
• Mark on cultural differences:
  • “Americans tend to be very reticent to be open-hearted because it seems so unsophisticated… The Japanese are extremely forthright, with heart and passion… It’s nice for the American to meet that cultural gap more than halfway.” ([36:20])

5. The Realities of Acting—Stage vs. Screen

• Mark discusses the differences between theater and on-camera work—the intimacy of the camera allowing for subtlety, authenticity, and “the ring of truth” ([50:13]).
• The process of performing with multiple “Chopper” stand-ins: acting with a proxy actor, a puppet (for eyeline), and finally to empty air for CGI compositing ([54:58]).

6. Personal Vulnerability, Fatherhood, and Legacy

• The emotional connection of being a parent and how that informed his reading of Hiriluk’s final moments ([41:42]).
• Quote: “When you have a child… you are no longer you… You don’t want to die for nothing, but what are you going to die for? Here you are. Here’s something.” ([42:03])
• The iconic line “When does a man die?” is discussed, and Mark shares he was unaware of its fan significance until after filming ([44:40]).

7. Self-Loathing & The Working Actor’s Inner Life

• Honest conversation about perfectionism, self-critique, and vulnerability in performance, drawing parallels between Hiriluk’s flaws and the actor’s own ([60:59]).
• The hosts reassure Mark:
  • “Your self-doubt… is not warranted. It really was a moving performance for something that I think is going to be, if not already, a very important scene to reflect on.” (Zach, [61:15])
• Mark’s humility:
  • “It’s nice to have to come to terms with it. And it’s also nice to be able to sort of, like, humble myself and take your compliment. Which I appreciate.” ([62:03])

8. Nerdy References, Lighthearted Moments, and Memorable Bits

• Multiple jokes about the practicalities and symbolism of Hiriluk’s wig and potential Dr. Hiriluk bobblehead merchandise ([67:24]).
• Mark reunites with his dog Ollie on-camera, adding warmth and a running gag about dogs in interviews ([69:03]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mark Harelik (on performance):
  “Every now and then there’s a magical combination of the show and the feel of the set and the director and your fellow actors… Star Trek was one of them, and One Piece was another.” ([11:24])
• On Hiriluk’s legacy:
  “The fact that he, without ever saying so, at least to Chopper, he takes him into his heart and refers to him as his son… Just knocked me. I thought: just let me at him, let’s do this!” ([34:00])
• On differences in adaptation:
  “Netflix is to be appreciated for allowing [emotional openness] to happen… I’d like to give a shout-out to the director of the Drum Island episodes, Lucas Etlund, who I think really achieved that balance.” ([39:35])
• Light moment (boxer shorts):
  “In the manga, there’s just a little pine frond… I wanted to do that, but they were all like, ‘we’re not’.” ([27:43])
• Mark’s dog Ollie makes an appearance:
  “She’s part Papillon and part Chihuahua… She’s giving you her good side.” ([69:03])
• Hosts on the One Piece ‘credo’:
  “It’s become a popular credo… When does a man die?—‘When he is forgotten.’” ([44:39])

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Key Timestamps

• [08:16] – Official welcome to Mark Harelik (Dr. Hiriluk)
• [10:12] – Mark opens up about his relationship with acting
• [13:39] – Hosts reflect on Dr. Hiriluk’s emotional impact
• [18:21] – How the wig and visual design informed Mark’s portrayal
• [22:01] – Stories about physical comedy with the wig and working on set
• [28:56] – The significance of Hiriluk’s vulnerability with Chopper
• [33:43] – Mark on Hiriluk’s loneliness, purpose, and calling Chopper ‘son’
• [36:20] – On the differences between Japanese and American dramatic sensibilities
• [50:13] – Mark on theater vs. film/TV acting
• [54:58] – Process of performing with Chopper (actor, puppet, CGI)
• [61:15] – The hosts express gratitude for Mark’s performance
• [69:03] – Ollie the dog’s moment in the spotlight

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Closing Reflections

• The hosts emphasize how meaningful it is to connect with actors who are so candid about vulnerability and craft, drawing a direct line to how Hiriluk’s story resonates so deeply in the One Piece universe and for its fans.
• Mark’s performance is celebrated as a highlight of the adaptation, embodying both the theatricality and earnestness at the heart of One Piece.
• The episode ends with gratitude, dog cameos, and light joking about Chopper’s future appearances, showing the podcast’s trademark mix of humor and heartfelt fandom.

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For Further Listening

• OPLA! interviews with the Chopper cast, visual effects team, and other OPLA! creative staff are mentioned as upcoming or recent episodes for in-depth One Piece adaptation content.

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End of summary.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

I didn't expect this. TikTok has more short dramas than I could ever finish. Each episode leaves you wanting the next. Download TikTok now and try it.

[A]

Sam.

[C]

Welcome to opla.

[D]

Break a plate.

[E]

Opla.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

Spanaklo Plata

[B]

Copla.

[C]

That's a good one. This is our podcast about the One Piece live action series that is on Netflix. My name is Zach. With me today, Steve Yurko.

[E]

Hey. I haven't been on one of these in a long time.

[C]

Two years. I mean, there weren't any of them for a while.

[E]

Yeah, I missed out on all those other seasons of the show.

[C]

We're covering Marineford now. We also have Alex.

[D]

You do. Hi.

[C]

Hi. And our esteemed editor Delaney returns to our OPLA cast. How's it going, Delaney?

[B]

Ah, pretty good. I needed to be here today.

[C]

And that is.

[B]

And that's not a joke. I needed to be here.

[C]

I know. I didn't force you. You just told me that you needed to be here. We.

[E]

Zach's aware because he knows what is and what isn't bull, so.

[D]

And that is no bull.

[C]

Jesus Christ. Anyway, today we are talking with the actor who played Dr. Hiriluk, Mark Herielck. And it is a really wonderful interview. Excited for all of you to hear it. So I'm not gonna say much else except please continue to Support [e-mail] 1piecepodcast the link is in the description below. Or if you are listening, the link is in the description below. And is there anything you guys want to mention to prep before going into this interview besides my lack of acting knowledge, apparently, but that I knew you

[B]

guys will have already talked about this on the main show by the time that everyone's hearing this. But how apropos is it that we're doing this interview on the day that Chopper is officially the mascot of Dos Dog? Doctors Without Borders illustration today.

[C]

Well, now we're really setting this at a moment in time, but I hate

[E]

that I never kind of asked myself the question, oh, so why Chopper? I was just like, oh, yeah, One Piece Popular. Got him.

[C]

Oh, you didn't realize he was the Doctor.

[B]

And that's why he is the Doctor Without Borders. Yeah, they found him.

[C]

I'm sure we have already talked about this, but that was really heartening to see. And Oda's drawing for it was really adorable. And I think this. This interview also reiterates the importance of, you know, having people with big hearts and doctors, you know, out there doing really important work. So if. I'll say right here, if you can support Doctors Without Borders, if you. If you are able, a very esteemed organization. I don't want to be behind Chopper on this. We gotta be with him. But without further ado, any other comments before we start?

[D]

Nope.

[C]

Okay.

[E]

Can't wait to see Chopper at games. Done. Quick.

[B]

God damn it.

[C]

Let's talk to Mark Herlick.

[E]

Of course. The damn leaf blower starts up again.

[D]

I had a really funny. I had a really funny joke, but I totally forgot what the. It was.

[B]

Oh, no.

[D]

And it's something. Oh, yeah. I was gonna say, also, support doctors, regular doctors, by giving money within your borders, by giving money to insurance companies and big pharma.

[B]

Be like Dr.

[F]

Hero.

[B]

Look, blow yourself up against privatized healthcare.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Wow. It's true, though.

[A]

This episode is brought to you by Fandango. People say fans are too distracted these days, but the truth is, when a great movie hits the screen, you show up, you stay glued, invest part of the story. And without fans like you, there'd be no cinema magic, no shared moments. So head to fandango.com to get tickets, stream or rent or buy top movies and series. Fandango loves fans. Is that. Are you recording now?

[C]

We're recording, but we don't have to use this.

[A]

Am I making a fool of myself now or is that in just. In a minute or so.

[C]

I was gonna introduce everyone, and then we could start. Since you have 24 hours, I'm gonna take my time. So, Steve Yurko. I don't know if they're all in the direction. He is an artist and our co host, storyboarder.

[D]

Raise your hand, Steve.

[E]

Oh, like this.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

There we go. I see the zoom.

[A]

Oh, hi. I see. I see.

[E]

It's telling me to lower my hand now.

[A]

I like your room.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

It's a shared office with my partner.

[A]

There's a lot of black going on.

[E]

There's a lot of. Yeah, it's kind of like the bat cave. There's a lot of hidden things there. I have a giant penny back there.

[D]

No, but.

[A]

No. It makes your skull pop against.

[E]

It does. Yeah. See?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Good move. Good moved.

[C]

Delaney is our editor who is back from the UK for our. Not from the uk, but is living in there. But not now at this moment.

[B]

I came all the way back from the UK to record in the east coast for this interview. That's right.

[A]

Do you live in the UK or you were working there?

[B]

Presently I'm a dual citizen, so I just live there at the moment.

[A]

Cool.

[B]

Yeah. But it's nice to be home.

[A]

Cornwall location in England. Oh, okay. I was just. It was. I'm engaging with you in a scattershot manner.

[B]

And you know what? I appreciate that.

[A]

Okay. All right.

[C]

And the last one is Alex. He's in Drum island right now.

[D]

Yes, I am.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It's true. Yeah. You don't want to see the person back.

[A]

Oh, oh, oh, okay.

[D]

Yeah. Then it's the cherry blossoms.

[A]

See it? The cherry blossoms.

[D]

Now it just kind of looks like I have like a clown fro.

[A]

Oh, that's nice.

[D]

But yeah, yeah, I try to theme my backgrounds whenever we do an interview like this.

[A]

Nice work. Nice work.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

Thank you. Otherwise you'd be seeing our. Our laundry hanging up back there.

[C]

So I'm Zach. I'm the host of the One Piece podcast. So if we're starting the recording here, we can now make a fool of ourselves at this point.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Today on our special One Piece Live Action series of interviews, we have Mark herilik, who plays Dr. Hiriluk. Welcome, Mark.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you. Nice to see you.

[C]

Yeah. And God, it's really good to see you. I want to say, first of all, I was watching. I have to just nerd out slightly, which we all will, I'm sure, at our own time. First of all, your performance we'll talk about was incredible. But while I was watching you, I'm like, I recognize. I know this person from something. And I realized it was from Star Voyager, which, like I put together. Yeah, from the. From your one episode.

[A]

That's a reach.

[C]

I know. Which is why I was really impressed with myself. And then I saw you.

[A]

Because I had a nasal spine.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

In Star Trek.

[C]

I remember.

[A]

I don't know how you would get from there to Dr. Hiriluk.

[C]

I mean, it's really the same. You had the spine instead it was on your hair in three different directions. For Dr. Heroic.

[A]

That's the only way. That's right. The same aberration interpreted two different ways.

[C]

Yeah. Yes, that's true.

[A]

Astute.

[C]

Yes, sure. But it was. That is still. That's probably my favorite episode of that series. And your performance is really great in that. You mean Star Trek Of Star Trek and of One Piece.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

We'll start check Voyager.

[C]

Voyager specifically. Oh, well, yeah, that's not.

[E]

Most of the question is going to be Star Trek Voyager.

[A]

That's one of the few times where I've actually enjoyed working on a show. I usually don't enjoy, I usually don't enjoy working. Basically.

[C]

I get that

[A]

I don't enjoy my work and I don't enjoy the act of working. I enjoy having work, I enjoy getting work, but I don't enjoy working. But Star Trek I enjoyed and One Piece I enjoyed.

[C]

Good.

[E]

So may I ask what it is about acting that kind of, you're not, not too keen on? Is it the constant starting, stopping, hurry up and wait?

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I just, I just self loathing, I'm being maybe like 10% facetious but, but, but it's, you know, one tends to be one's harshest critic most of the time and, and achieving a state of belief in acting is really difficult to do and the circumstances need to be ideal for it. I can pretend just as well as the next fella, but pretending is not satisfying and you know, you sort of walk away with the feeling of embarrassment and kind of, you know, like leaving the room, hoping that nobody looks at you as you slink back to the, to your dressing room. So, so I really, I, I would say that the, the bulk of my work is spent with some sort of either either mid or high level of pretense and every now and then there, there's a magical combination of the show and the feel of the set and the director and your fellow actors that all just sort of creates a moment of magic and you forget yourself and it's what every actor dreams of. And so Star Trek is one of them, as it happens. And One Piece was another.

[C]

So what convinced you?

[A]

No, I'm clearing my nostrils, sorry.

[C]

No, no, that's good, that's all right.

[E]

It must be hard too because with filming, because you must have filmed one piece now almost like a couple years ago at least, and then you're only just now getting the feedback. So sometimes if you kind of fall into that spiral a bit, there's really nothing that you're not going to hear that positive like response to it till so much later. It is maddening. But that's what, yeah, perfectionism, that's what it could be.

[A]

But you know, the, the positive response, oh God, this is going to sound coy and precious, but the, the positive response a year and a half after the fact doesn't really pertain to me because I came away immediately from the experience having had a good time and having felt enriched by it. So I already had a sense of contributing something positive and you know, of course it's nice to hear applause always, but you know, I try not to put too much stock in it.

[C]

I think we all want to give you a lot of applause too, because I think we all agreed coming out of it, like the highlight of the season and series, I'd even say, was the. Was you and Katie and Chopper, the many actors, actresses behind Chopper. And so as someone who also has self loathing and also doesn't, you know, want to see themselves, you know, portrayed, I hope you can take a good amount of solace in really just incredible work that I think we could say made us all weep in some form or fashion. Thank you.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I got off of the episode and I was like, I. Within five minutes I was like, you need to email him now.

[C]

It was before I watched it and.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, I was like, this is not a question. You need to get in touch.

[A]

Well, thank you. I mean, the, the. The character was already created and already drawn and already existed when Oda drew the manga. And so he was already a fully formed person. So, you know, it's not as though I came up with it out of whole cloth already in the story. He was a incredibly touching character that instead of being part of. I mean, the great gift there was not being part of the ongoing story, the ongoing quest. I mean, how many, how many episodes of One piece in the manga are we in? And they still haven't found the one piece. So, you know, it just goes. It just goes on and on and on and on. But. But there was. There was the little mini Quest that. That Dr. Hiriluk is on. He achieves, and he doesn't end up seeing what we see in your beautiful background here of the. Of the petals. Of the petals raining down on Drum Island. But it happens. And the fact that it happened after he wished for it and worked for it and died for it is really emotional.

[D]

Yeah. And you, you really brought something to that character too. And yeah, you are correct in that, like, you know, this is an adapted character, but you also put your own spin on Dr. Herlick as well. And I do wonder, like, what was your process for becoming this character? Did you familiarize yourself with the source material? Did you just sort of look at the script and see, okay, here, here's where we are. We are, and here's where we're going.

[A]

There's this thing in manga and anime in which the, the. The characters are larger than themselves and they're drawn in a way that's larger than themselves. Their eyes, their Expressions. When you see a, a manga or an anime character open their mouths, it looks like they've just turned their head inside out.

[C]

Particular.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

It looks like Gina Davis in Beetlejuice.

[E]

Thank you, Delaney. I was going to say the same thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Or, or in real life, if you ever seen her eat corn on the cob. But, but the, the, the idea is that the inner life of the, of an, of a manga and anime character is expressed by their outward appearance. So for me, the gateway to Dr. Hick was his hair and wasn't. Well, I mean I didn't, I, I, I came up with my own reasons. But, but you know, I'd like to think they were in sync with, with the creation of the character. I'm looking to see if there's blood on my arm, but there's not. I just picked a scab.

[D]

Relatable.

[A]

Honestly, I'm so sorry.

[E]

Irresistible.

[B]

Someone should call a doctor.

[A]

I am a doctor.

[E]

We're not helping with the quack accusations

[B]

here, so we're not beating them.

[A]

The quack is part of it. But this, the way his hair is, he is either made his hair look like that or his hair took on the energy that's coming from the inside.

[D]

Interesting.

[A]

And, and any way you look at him from any direction, you can sort of see a white cross. A white cross which reminded me of the red cross or the sign of healing. And I took it as a visual manifestation of a healer, but not just like I'm wearing a T shirt that has this sign on it. It's as though I have such a desire. I, I'm now speaking as Dr. Hirolik. I, I have such a desire that my passion and the fire in my belly and my belief is such that my hair exploded with this inner vision and hair love becomes a visual manifestation of his life energy. So that was how I found my way into the character was through the wig, was through the way his hair looks. And, and, and in order to fulfill the wig, I had to manifest a kind of energy that inhabited it. If that, if that makes sense.

[C]

It makes sense.

[B]

It's a wig that wears you sort of.

[D]

Yeah, the clothes make the man. Right?

[A]

Clothes make the man. Absolutely. And so, and so I approached everything because of that with a, a fierceness and stubborn, clumsy passion. Wrong headed. Sometimes there's a great part of his story which they weren't able to fit into the live action. But he, he, whenever he sees like a disease out there in the community or somebody has a particular illness, he will manufacture a potion in his lab. Nine times out of ten, that potion either kills the patient or turns them into a frog or other hideous things to the point where he comes running with his medicine and the village is saying, I'm not sick anymore. I'm not sick. I don't need anything. I'm feeling better. And he goes, no, no, no, you have to, I think this will work. Drink this. And then they turn into a frog. And he goes like, ah. I think I got that right. Wrong. Next time, next time I think I'll change something so that, so that he is this clumsiness and sort of ham handed passion is. It comes out in his hair. So. So I found it very easy to find my way into the character on that basis.

[E]

And on that note, what was it like having hair that tall?

[C]

Yes. Steve is asking specifically, were you like

[E]

aware or would you get caught in doorways sometimes or.

[A]

Oh, yes, yes, yes. My little laboratory was hollowed out of a giant tree stump.

[C]

I love, I love that.

[A]

And the door and the doorway was right here. So, so I ducked enough so I wouldn't hit my head. But I was always like, bang. And then we would reset in my, and my makeup artist that was there between all the takes. And I said, I think, I think I wrenched loose the glue again and said, okay, paste it back up. And the next time I go through the work, bam. Oh, I think I. Is the wig okay? But they, but the, all of the wigs. I don't know if people notice such things. Hopefully they don't. But one piece has a plethora of incredibly impressive wigs. I guess all of the characters have these mad manifestations of their personalities that comes out in their hair. And so the, the wig department, the wig makers are world class. So the wig I had looked realistic, like right up to, like right up to. You could look this close and you wouldn't see any, you know, from the skin to the hair that you, you wouldn't see any transition. So my wig, in answer to your question, my wig was so well balanced and light and well made that I was never aware that I was wearing a wig, which is why I wouldn't, which is why I would knock against things because I never, I could never remember that I, that I had it on. The one time I had to deal with it was. There's one scene where I think I'm about to walk out the door and I pop my top hat on over the, this geyser that comes up in this direction and, and my, my makeup artist that I, that I bow down to. Every time I think of her was off camera and helping me. And before we rolled, we would practice and I would hold it up and she would say, a little bit this way, a little bit this way, now down. And I'd practice it again. Like this, like this, like this. And she would be going, yes, a little bit this way, a little bit this way. Okay, now back. And she would just. We would rehearse that way. And then once the camera rolls, I was able to go, and it's on.

[E]

Sounds like a foreman at a construction site.

[B]

Like you're landing a plane.

[A]

That's right. That's right. And when you wore the hat back

[E]

and was it always the same wig, even when Hiriluk was wearing his hat, or was there like a separate wig for that?

[C]

It was a utilitarian that you could actually put on the hat back and forth.

[D]

Yeah, that's good.

[A]

Yeah. And it had to support it. And then once it was on, the hat had to look like it was, you know, sitting at a realistic angle. And we worked with a lot of. We worked with a lot of different angles on the hatch. It'd be back, should it be tilted. And I think we ended up with one that's sort of like Natalie cocked to one side that. That here would look. Here look. Would look in the mirror and go, yeah, yeah, you. Yeah, you. Yeah, looking good.

[C]

It makes me wonder how much Oda had live action in mind when he created the character with the hat over the. Yeah, probably not much, but interesting.

[D]

It's definitely a. Yeah, that's.

[A]

Well, he might have had. He. You know, I don't know. I think. I think in. Well, I'm pretty sure in Japan manga is not considered ya, you know, young adult. Yeah, but. But for the purposes of this series and Netflix, I believe that one piece is considered ya. And so there were some considerations that had to be made in terms of is this adult content or is this ya? Or maybe another expression would be family. Family ready. Family ready. But I think ya is. Is actually the category that's accurate industry wise. I mean, I don't think anybody involved with the production approaches it with that in mind. Except for the scene where here, look has to prove to the wounded chopper that he's not carrying any weapons on his body. And so in the manga, he totally strips butt naked, or, you know, whatever. The reverse side is a butt naked.

[C]

He.

[A]

He strips down and just stands there spread eagle so that chopper can see that he's not carrying any weapons. And I think it was a Little. Huh?

[C]

You had boxers, right? It wasn't quite to that level.

[A]

Boxers with little.

[C]

Was it hearts?

[A]

No, no, I think there were. Oh, maybe weren't hearts. Little crosses.

[F]

Little.

[A]

Little. Little medical crosses.

[D]

That's great. I don't think I got to see the detail on those.

[C]

Yeah,

[D]

I did wonder. I did wonder pretty quickly.

[A]

But, you know, in the manga, there's just a little pine frond.

[C]

Yeah, I remember. Yeah, right.

[A]

Hanging in front of Hirilux. Admirable private parts. And I wanted to do that, but they were all like, we're not.

[C]

We're not.

[A]

So I never.

[B]

I never thought I would be on this podcast long enough to hear the day when a bunch of men are apologizing to another man for not zooming in on his net. On his boxers on a Netflix show.

[C]

There it is.

[A]

See? See, they can't tell you what the print was on my boxers, which I think is admirable on their part. Yeah, they didn't.

[E]

Self restraint.

[A]

Pause and zoom.

[C]

There was a lot of self restraint in that moment, to be fair. That is like. It's a funny. It really describes one piece well in that. It is funny, but it also is so heartfelt and emotional, the fact that you're doing that. Like he's in this extremely vulnerable moment. Chopper. And yes, it's funny that he's taking off his clothes, but he's doing it for such a impactful and important reason that really starts that relationship.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Also, it's a. It's an extreme gesture. It's not like, I promise. I promise you, you know, there's nothing up my sleeve. It's like, I will. I will effing show you. I will show you. Which is another. It's another aid to the actor.

[D]

That's true.

[A]

That kind of gesture.

[D]

There is nothing subtle about. About Dr. Here. Look, as a character.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

How. How did you end up getting.

[A]

Describes my acting in a nutshell?

[D]

Well, there you go. And that sort of segues into my next question, which is how. What was the casting process like? Because I know for a lot of other folks we talked to, they didn't know it was one piece at first. You know, it was under Project Panda or something else. And like, how do you. How do you. I mean, like, you know, I guess in your line of work, the next job is always the next job. Right. So I'm not sure if you had any sort of anticipation for something like this or if it was just, okay, I'm going to read for this. And here I go, I got cast. Or if they sought you out because your name is almost the exact same as the character.

[C]

What's the word for that? When your name tells you what you're actually gonna do in life. I forget. But I was also gonna ask. Jumping off of that question is, since you hate acting, what actually jumped out of the page for you in this specifically? So just to add to Alex's. I didn't mean to over.

[D]

Yeah, it's fine.

[A]

Okay. Right. I need to. I need to think for just a second.

[C]

That's okay.

[A]

Well, so. So. So. So in answer to the first part of the question, yes, I think it went by the title of Project Renaissance.

[D]

Renaissance. That's what it was. But Panda was the first.

[A]

But everything these days has a secret title. Unless it's. Unless it's a. Unless it's a CBS sitcom. Everything has a. Has a secret code name. And there are NDAs, and you get some sort of watermark to digital script that disappears after the date of your audition. You know, that's just sort of like run of the mill because social media has its little.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Fungus webs and everything. So I think. I think actually somebody did say, well, it's called Project Renaissance, but it actually is this manga named One Piece. So I got to. I got to browse it ahead of time. And I had two meetings with the producers and maybe the director, but I'm thinking it just the producers and got hired on the basis of that. And I remember, remember at the time, this is my usual look these days with my beard, my preposterous beard.

[C]

It's a fantastic beard. I'm jealous of that beard.

[A]

Thank you. It's a toy, nothing more. And I remember once, Once they. Once they offered the job, I said, oh, and I think this beard could be really useful. And they said, well, no, it's based on this character. That's already established. So no, be. Maybe that's when I found out it was One Piece. And now as to the second part of the question that you asked, which is what?

[C]

Remind me again, sorry I jumped in. I added a whole.

[A]

I'm so present tense that I don't belong to these.

[C]

That's also admirable. It was, since you avoid acting, what jumped out of the page to you with One piece?

[A]

Specifically, the earnestness. The earnestness and the commitment and the belief. And. And I. I loved the. Well, I found hero look lovable. I found him honest and forthright and noble and clumsy and not knowing how to deal with a. With a close association. And and ultimately it was the fact that I suddenly got choked up. Ultimately it was the fact that he refers to Chopper in his last scene before he offs himself. Spoiler alert. Are we worried about that?

[E]

No.

[C]

Alex's back.

[A]

In the last scene, he refers to Chopper as his son.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And that just. Bam. That was just how that. That, that means that before he met Chopper, he has nobody.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

He has no one and nothing and nobody. And he is disliked by the villagers and he's hunted by the monarch, and all he wants to do is heal. And so this. This opportunity not only to. To heal this. This outcast, this fellow outcast creature, but to learn that this creature wants also to become a healer and a doctor. That just killed me. That just killed me. And. And the fact that he, without ever saying so, at least to Chopper, he takes him into his heart and refers to him as his son, just knocked me. I thought. Just let me add him. Let me add him. Let's go. Let's do this. I'm ready. I'm ready. A character that you can love from start to finish that is filled with flaws.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The great thing is about, like, over the 20 year odd history of, like, manga and anime becoming an American export, and all of a sudden now, like Hollywood studios cracking at it, is that some adaptations, like in the 20 year history of it, have had a tendency to sort of run away from like, the. The big emotional stuff, I suppose it's like they want the cool, but they don't want the, like the big hair and the goofy faces and they're like, no, no, no, we can take this out. We can move away from it. And I think what makes not just one piece, the adaptation as a whole, the show as a whole, but specifically this episode, at least when I was watching it, is that because it embraces that visual bigness and by extension the theatricality, which I'm sure, you know, as a. As a theater person yourself, as a stage, like writing stage plays, like, understanding the needs of different kinds of audiences to then, like, go full thrust towards that creates, like, a lot of. A lot of connection that is such a boon to the show and encapsulates a lot of it on the whole. But particularly this episode, I think is where it really shines.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, it's. It's. There's a big difference, but there's. There's a. In terms of the stories we like to hear, the stories we like to tell, there's a big difference between Japanese culture and. And not just Western culture, American United States culture, and we tend to be very. Reticent to be open, open hearted because it seems so unsophisticated. It seems so, so uncool. It doesn't have, it doesn't have, I don't know. There's a, there's a, there's a, a certain in the, in the, in the west, in the, in America, there's a, there' in being sardonic, in being jaded, in being withdrawn, which is, which is taken on as a, when you're young, it's taken on as a mark of sophistication. And when you're old, it's because you just can't shake it. But the Japanese are extremely forthright, with heart and passion and drama and commitment. We look at the, like, the classic Japanese films like, like Kurosawa's films and, and the acting, those actors tear themselves apart with emotion. And you look at the American remakes of a lot of classic Japanese films and yeah, yeah, it's all somehow declawed and made more quote, unquote, sophisticated. And so it's, it's nice to have an American, for the American to meet that cultural gap more than halfway. Yeah, definitely. We have our sensibilities, we have our styles of acting that just, we resonate with and, and we, we don't want to be suddenly confronted with something that's preposterous. And so it's fun as an actor to try to come with a Japanese sensibility without seeming preposterous. So it can be, it can be outlandish. But if there's a strong core to the center of it, American audiences buy it. And I think Netflix is to be, is to be appreciated for allowing that to happen. And it's, and it's always a fine line to draw. And I, and, and I would like to give a shout out to the director of the, the Drum island episodes, Lucas Etlund, who I think really achieved that balance. He, he punched, he punched it as, as much as possible while still keeping it grounded.

[C]

Yeah, I feel like this is a,

[A]

I feel like this is a lot of actor and behind the scenes talk that I don't know.

[D]

Yeah, this is, this is why we're here, honestly.

[B]

No, it's, it's fascinating. I, I, and I appreciate that perspective so much as well, because I, I, you know, I've got theater experience, writing experience whatnot, and it's, you know, but I've never had to work in that capacity of balancing like whole cultural transformation into a, an American product and, but that still retains the core and obviously with Oda at the helm. It creates an environment where it can't be like, you really can't be, like, shruggy and ironic about, like, oh, wow, this is kind of stupid, isn't it? When the guy who successfully made it work for 30 years is running your show.

[A]

He's hands on. He's still. He's still writing, he's still drawing, and he's still hands on with this production. Yeah, it's quite amazing.

[C]

I kind of to meld the two last topics together. Alex and I, I know, are newish fathers at least. So I'll say, having experienced. You mentioned that line, you know, my son will be coming, you know, and that also got me this time. So I've read the story. I've watched it. Every time I read and watch it, I will weep. Because it is such a successful, like, succinct story. It's still probably one of my favorite, if not my favorite flashback in the series because of its strong emotional core. And I mean, at least this. This version, like, struck me in a whole new way. Alex, I don't know about you in fatherhood because I think this is my first time also, like, experiencing the story in this.

[D]

Yeah. Going through that. This particular arc as a father. Yeah. I mean, it is.

[A]

It is. Well, I just cut you off. I'm sorry.

[D]

No, no, no, no, no, please.

[A]

It's intense. It's intense. It's intense. My son is no longer a teenager, but I can vividly remember the. Not the day he was born, the moment he was born. And suddenly I was living a whole new life.

[D]

Yep, that's what it is.

[A]

An entirely new life. It wasn't like something fresh and interesting had come through the door. A whole new life. And. Okay, there. There's. There's a song by the Pretenders, and I don't remember which it is, but I can. I can hear the lyrics. I don't want to die for nothing. I want to die for something. And that's what having a son. That's what having a child feels like.

[D]

Wow. Yeah.

[A]

You are. You are no longer you. You're gonna die. And you don't want to die for nothing. But what are you going to die for? Here you are. Here's something. And when. So. So that was very present in my mind when I say, there. There's the. A monster is going to come, but please don't harm him. He's my son. 10 seconds later, he's died. 10 seconds. 10 seconds later, he's dead. But he found his purpose and maybe his Purpose wasn't, you know, in the, in the long term. His purpose was, I hadn't thought about this before. His purpose is not so much healing as being remembered and having an effect that goes forward into the future. And when you guys are no longer around, your kids will be. And the, the, and so you will not die for nothing just to take things to their ultimate conclusion.

[C]

No, I, I, I've been told that that happens at some point, but someone told me. But I completely agree. I think I've heard someone say that, like, parenting is you lose your ego, you can't have that, and also, you know, care about this, you know, child. I 100% agree. And I also agree with your interpretation of Hero. Look, that speech has always resonated with me in different ways through my life. I know we've had friends of the show say, like, that is like something that they have recited in times where they've had sick, you know, relatives or, you know, it is a very powerful

[D]

and it's become a popular credo.

[C]

It is.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

When does a man die?

[A]

I didn't, I, and I didn't know that. I didn't know that. I've, I've been, I've been, I've learned about that after the fact.

[D]

Yeah, it's, it's kind of.

[A]

I'm glad I didn't. Sorry to interrupt.

[D]

No, please keep interrupting.

[A]

No, I didn't know that it was this big, popular, powerful credo before I filmed the scene. I found out afterwards.

[C]

No, that's a secret.

[D]

Yeah, but I think that, like, I'm, I'm, I'm also glad, too. And I, I'm, I'm, I'm also, also glad that they keep the production generally a secret when it comes to the audition process, too, because this thing, this, this, the series has just become a juggernaut in the last 20 years or so, and, and a lot of people get really precious about certain properties, and I feel like that can.

[C]

You're talking about Star Trek, Voyager, right?

[D]

I'm talking about Voyager. I'm mostly talking about, you know what? I'm not even going to open up the Star wars can of worms about what happens when you are precious about something and what happens when you're not, because when you're not, then you get something cool like Andor. Anyway, so what I'm saying here is that I'm glad that it's something that you weren't privy to ahead of time because you were able to really put your own heart into it and you understood the significance of that particular scene based on what you had read up to that point without knowing the effect that it had already had on people for the last 20 years.

[A]

Yeah. Cause we're susceptible to those pressures just to expectations where. Where you can't help it.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It's like. It's like Hamlet. Like, if you're doing Hamlet and you're like, oh, to be or not to be. Oh, people have opinions on what this should be like. Like, people are gonna. Are gonna judge me based on this. Like, one thing. It doesn't matter what the rest of it is. If, If I say if I put the accent on the wrong part of to be or not to be, people are gonna leave the theater. Wine sales are going to go down.

[A]

What you do, no matter what you do, you will get floods of criticism. And, and believe me that. Well, maybe, you know, criticism is always. You hold on to that much more than you do praise. It's the criticism. It's the one person in the audience that walked out that is. That takes all of your focus.

[B]

Right.

[C]

I hate how relatable this all is. Everything you've said.

[D]

Mark, do you still do theater work? Do you still act in theater?

[A]

Theater production? I haven't in a while. My last experience was maybe three years ago, and it was in a weak production of a Shakespeare. But I very much enjoyed working on it. I like it. Stage is very difficult.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

But the. The great. The great value of it is that you can experience the story from start to finish without stopping. So you. You jump in the pool and you just swim and you never get out. And, and in film and television, doing it piece by piece and moment by moment is. Is. Requires a lot of tactical brain work. That's really. That's really beside the point. The. The asset. The asset of. Of doing film and television or just camera work in general, is that I feel a great sense of working privately when I'm working on camera and on stage. It's. You can't get a sense of that because the audience usually is sitting on one side of you, and you just have. You can't just be. You have to make sure they hear you, that they see you. You're always conscious of that. You're. You're performing. And it's not a private experience, it's a public experience. And that can rattle me. It's hard to get rattled with the camera because there's always, you know, you rehearse and there are technicians everywhere and it's. And there are lights and people from a dozen different directions. And for the actor, you're the last person to work on any particular scene. They've already lit it. They've set the camera, the props are ready, the costumes. Everyone has done their work and they're waiting to move on to the next scene.

[B]

And you have five minutes to make it look like you've taken your hat on and off a million times throughout your.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. For one golden moment, everything sort of irises down and you get a moment of privacy.

[C]

It feels intimate. The scenes you've did like. Absolutely.

[D]

I feel that that's interesting coming off of the dissonance between theater acting and. And on camera acting. That's very interesting. I mean, obviously they're always going to. They're. They're different by design. But. But hearing your. Your personal experience that is.

[C]

Is.

[A]

Well, you just can't. I mean, I mean, they're. The stage now uses lots of wonderful technologies.

[D]

Oh, yeah. A lot of lavaliers. Right.

[A]

I. And I endorse all of that. It's fun to work on and it's interesting. But nothing can ever replace the. The intimacy of a camera. And, and, and the fact that you can. The fact that you can whisper. The fact that you can.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Think without demonstrating. And it all is still a performance that's either manufactured or allowed to emerge. And, and, and it's, you know, it's all phony to a certain degree, but there's a. You. You can bring the ring of truth to it much more readily on camera, and that's just satisfying.

[C]

It describes Hero look too. Not to bring things around. It describes Dr. Hero look well too. It's the authenticity in the heart and the quackery on the outside.

[A]

I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right.

[B]

Testament to the direction you have things to offer.

[A]

Keep talking. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

I just am not going to be able to listen to myself after this.

[B]

No, that, no, that's my job.

[C]

That's. That's your job. You have to do that.

[B]

No, but it's a testament. You mentioned the directing as well, that like that episode feels so intimate and it gets the best qualities of both, I think where in theater where you're. You're present in the room both as an audience and as a performer, where you kind of. You're stuck in together and you only get that a physical space. But I definitely felt most acutely than I ever have and that like, this felt very intimate and close. Like especially because so much of it's in the hut and then these, like, very quiet Scenes as well. And most of it is like you and. Or Katie Seagal or. Or Michaela.

[A]

For me, it was just me and one other person.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Either. Either Chopper's proxy or Katie. And. And in both cases, I had wonderful actresses to work with. And, and it was. It was all close. And I didn't have to do any fight scenes. I didn't have to. I. I didn't have to climb the rigging. I didn't have to do green screen work. It was all just like hyper realistic. Even out in this. In the fake snow that they made, they. That when you're in it, you can't tell that it's fake. It's just.

[C]

No, no, it looks crazy.

[A]

It's paper. Did you know that?

[D]

It's paper. I know that in the past that used to be potato.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Like when they made themselves using asbestos.

[A]

The new movie Snow is paper. But, but I mean, there's a. There's a whole. There are a couple of companies that do all of the movies now, and you just. You can't tell and you can tramp through it and, and, and if you have to go back and do a second take, they can cover it all up very quickly. It's. It's. It's kind of. It's kind of amazing. It's the. It's a place to experience movie magic while you're on the set.

[C]

Yeah, that's really great with the practical effects. I know there's a lot of them.

[D]

Yeah. I mean, in this day and age, it must have been a real treat to be on a set that was mostly practical.

[A]

Yes, that's my generation, the analog generation.

[C]

I think we all prefer analog, generally. Yeah. So it's.

[A]

So what did you think of. Now I'm gonna ask you, what did you think about the. About the chopper creation?

[D]

Honestly, Fantastic.

[C]

It was great for a Muppet, but definitely you could have more expression with.

[D]

We definitely wanted a puppet. But I know that there was a physical sort of how they did. Like how they did Roger Rabbit back in the 80s. There was a physical, like a maquette or something that was used for lighting purposes, trying to get the lighting down for what the actual character was seeing as a person. And I'm sure we'll talk about that with the, with the. With the VFX artists at some point. But. But then you. You also had the young woman who had the. The rigging on to. To play off, so you didn't have to talk to a tennis ball, which is, I think, you know.

[A]

Right. Well, we, we did It. We did three takes of each scene. One is with Nkone, wonderful actors from Johannesburg, who. Who was the proxy who I actually acted with. And after we shot all of that and the coverage with the camera pointing toward me, and I got to experience the whole scene, then she would step out and I would do the same thing with. Not a puppet, with a doll. With a doll.

[D]

Right.

[A]

That. That had the actual proportions for eyeline purposes. And then we would do. Do a third take with me. This was over my shoulder at nothing. At an empty chair. And I would. Because I had all the movements down already, we would do the same thing. And I would be acting to an empty chair. And that is the frame in which they would put the CGI character in post production. So we did three different versions, including acting to the empty air, which I thought was. It was really interesting.

[C]

I mean, we spoke to Mikaela recently, who. I mean, I know you two never really interacted because of, you know.

[A]

No, no, she acted with me, but.

[C]

But she was saying how easy it was. She was saying how easy it was with you. Like, it. Like she had high praise of just, like, being. I. I don't have the exact. What she said. I don't remember exactly what she said, but she did say it was. It made it really just easy to have those emotions come out.

[A]

Oh, I'm glad.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm glad. Yeah. Cause Chopper goes through a lot.

[C]

He does.

[A]

He.

[C]

I. I think that's what really makes you root for him, too, because he goes through everything in that he. He really gets rocked around. Yeah, he is so.

[A]

Well, it's another aspect of being Hiriluk's adopted son, so to speak, because he has a ridiculous level of passion with really nothing physical to back it up.

[C]

Right.

[A]

I mean, he does. He does. He does transform into Heavy Point. But. But is that. Does he have control over that? I don't.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he can.

[A]

He can cause himself to become Heavy Point.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's not like. It's not like Incredible Hulk, where he knows.

[B]

Not a Jekyll and Hyde thing.

[D]

No, there is something in the series. Something later on in the series. There is. There is a. You know, he kind of goes nuts with. With his transformations a little bit.

[A]

Right.

[D]

Which is.

[C]

But he does go Incredible Hulk.

[A]

But y'.

[C]

All.

[D]

But Hiro will never see it, unfortunately.

[C]

No, but that's probably better for him than he probably.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Steve, just to jump back to what you talked about earlier with doing the three different takes, maybe this is me not knowing enough about the world of acting. But for you, was it easy to just nail those three takes back to back? Was it always a conscious thing or was maybe I'm like, to me like I'm wondering sometimes if there was something you did subconsciously and the director's like, I'll do that again. And you'd be like, oh, what did I do?

[A]

Well, that definitely does happen. But the way we worked so much time was invested in acting within Kone, my Chopper Proxy. That that's where we really worked on the scene and tried different things and changed the blocking and tried different approaches and landed on something that we all believed in. And only then did she come out of the way. They would whip the puppet in. I would, while, while sense memory was still working well, we would, you know, the cameras would roll as quickly as possible. I would do the same thing again with the puppet, whisk the puppet out of the way while the juices are still there and the memory's still good, act to the empty chair and then move on to the next scene. So it was relatively easy to do and kind of fun because that's the part that felt like being a little kid and play acting in the backyard on the swing set. That was kind of fun. But it was only after we discovered everything and the proper juices were bubbling up. So I didn't find it difficult. That doesn't mean that other people don't find it very difficult. I don't know. And if a lot of time, if there was time lag between working with Nkone and working with the puppet, then I think I would probably lose a lot and then I would be, then I would be in the realm of pretense and self loathing. So you know, always, always.

[E]

No wonder why you enjoyed yourself. No won why you enjoyed yourself then on, on this show.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Went too fast. Went too fast for the loathing to set in.

[B]

Do you think that Meisner was forward thinking with that one day this would.

[A]

Sorry, sorry. Start, start that question again.

[B]

No, I'm just postulating. Do you think that what Meisner thought that someday far in the future this is going to help bring Tony, Tony Chopra to life in unprecedented ways?

[A]

Must have, have, must have envisioned that. I. Right, right. Generations, generations and technologies unknown, undreamt of my method will serve you all. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Tony, Tony Meisner.

[D]

There's the episode title.

[C]

He's really trying to get that.

[D]

I could tell that's what you're really trying to get. We got it.

[A]

Suddenly we're the Algonquin Roundtable.

[C]

Your self doubt. I Know, I'm just some person here. But your self doubt and self. You know, I forget the other word you said, but they're not warranted. It really was a moving performance for like, you know, for something that I think is going to be, if not already, a very important scene to reflect on and it hopefully will affect people. And I think it will the same way the manga and the anime has.

[A]

I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for saying.

[C]

I say that again as someone with some self loathing that, you know, it's easy to see it in other people. Like what are you doing? Don't self loathe.

[A]

But I know we're being glib about it, but it is a thing. Yeah. Everybody experiences that. It's nice to have to come to terms with it. And it's also nice to be able to sort of like humble myself and take your compliment, which I appreciate.

[C]

Yeah. And you know, we talk about like the American sensibility, like not being open about these sorts of things. I think one piece certainly is extremely open about, you know, these difficult topics. And I think what works with it so well, what works with it is that you don't realize what you're about to walk into as a reader or watcher. And I think it's like.

[A]

That's right. It's not silly. It's not silly. There's like real life stuff going on.

[C]

The hair may look out of this world and the personalities may feel out of this world, but I mean the emotions of it are so resonant of this world. Of this world.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Well put.

[A]

Okay, so if you want to, if you, if you wanted to. To an example of where my self loathing is completely justified. There's a movie called A Gnome named. A Gnome named Gnorm.

[D]

That's. I, Yeah, I see that on your, on your Wikipedia there.

[A]

Go back, go back and watch a few minutes of that and you'll see justified self loathing. Well, because, because we all have to have a little of a little of. Of everything.

[D]

Well, I, I mean since you mentioned, you know, one of your old, you know, one of your, I guess first film roles, I have to say I, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention this. You are in one of me and my wife's favorite movies. Election.

[A]

A good movie.

[D]

Yeah, great movie. We watch it great. We watch it like once a year. Semen All Seminole depending. Depending on how you, how you look at it.

[A]

Here we go again.

[D]

But I have to applaud you on your work in that movie too. It's. It's a small part, but it's memorable.

[A]

And

[D]

like I said, we watch this movie every year, so I. I get to see your face every single year, basically when we watch this movie. And yeah, it's. It's. Yeah. Fantastic.

[C]

You do great work is what Alex has also said.

[D]

Yes, you do, Delaney.

[E]

Anything on the IMDb you want to shout out?

[B]

No. Steve, is there anything you wanted?

[C]

We didn't mention Seinfeld, but I could not mention Seinfeld. That was the other one.

[D]

The other role that we know you from. Yes,

[A]

yes. Another great tennis. Another rare. Yeah, the. The professional. The tennis pro that can't play tennis.

[C]

Right, right. Yeah.

[A]

It's a great Seinfeld premise.

[C]

No, it is.

[B]

Okay. Since Steve brought it up and I'm gonna make him look like a jerk if I don't. Accusing me. Whatever. All I'm gonna say is that that for as many times as I've seen. For as many times as I've seen, you should write a book. How to offend women in five syllables or less. In like the. How many years I've been on the Internet. It's like you should be getting residuals for that, man. That's like five cents every time.

[C]

Five cents.

[B]

That line has legs like you would not believe.

[A]

And you know the residuals do amount to about 5 cents or every time. So. So your wish, your wish.

[C]

You got to watch that. You gotta set that up.

[D]

Now I know that. I know that you're in the business of self loathing, but. But thank you for allowing us to blow smoke up your ass. I

[A]

ass. Thanks you. Wonderful cooling ventilation. Appreciate it.

[C]

I. I know you said you were 24 hours, but I don't want to keep you that long and you need to sleep at some point and you've been so generous with your time and we really do appreciate it it.

[A]

You guys are so much fun to talk to.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

Thank you very much.

[D]

I mean, likewise.

[C]

Is there anything.

[A]

An effective three legged stool. You are.

[B]

Wow.

[D]

Now. Now I'm going to wear that like a badge of honor, I guess. One third of a badge of honor. 4.

[E]

Or sit on 1/3 of a badge of honor.

[D]

Something. Yeah.

[C]

Is there anything you want people to know about that you're. You're working on or that there is an NDA or you know, that's. That's going on or that you're just. That you are proud of that you really want people to watch or see?

[A]

No, I know. I'll pass on that. And it's not because my mind is a blank. It's just like I like ending resting with one piece. And Dr. Hira look, my favorite squeeze.

[C]

Of course. Of course. If we see any doctor hero look stuff, we'll send it your way too. Because if you. If you want.

[D]

Yeah. We are in the business of doing that as well.

[C]

We are in the business of doing that.

[A]

Of doing what?

[C]

Of sending merch for characters that people act as.

[A]

Oh, you mean like a bobblehead? Don't you think he'd make a great bobblehead?

[C]

That would be a great bobblehead.

[B]

There's not a character they have.

[C]

We need residuals for that.

[D]

I mean honestly, bobbleheads are top heavy as it is. That might be a little.

[A]

That might be a taller structural integrity

[B]

wouldn't really be there.

[C]

I would buy that.

[A]

Yeah. We technically could not pull off a bobblehead of Dr. Hirolak.

[B]

But the power of belief is so. The power of belief is so important and so endemic of the themes of one piece. It will not make a doctor hero like bobblehead stand upright for more than two seconds.

[A]

That's right. Yes. But no.

[C]

Thank you so much. Yeah.

[A]

Thanks guys.

[C]

Thank you so much.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

All the best.

[D]

Hey nt you as well.

[C]

And you as well.

[A]

Thank you.

[C]

We can have a real ending if you want. Thank you so much for doing that. Or like for staying and appreciate it. Yeah. This doesn't.

[D]

Thank you so much. This was really great.

[A]

Now wait. We need another ending after that ending.

[C]

That's true.

[A]

What would that be? We've done the praise.

[C]

We'll all die one day. We talked about that.

[A]

We've done the solicitation for one final thought that I wasn't able to come up with anything. Sorry.

[C]

I was.

[E]

And now we all just need to leave. We're still walking in the same direction.

[D]

Hold on. He's got something.

[C]

Doggies.

[B]

Oh my God. Look at that.

[D]

This. This has been a running theme.

[A]

She's a. She's a little one eyed old lady.

[D]

Oh, she's adorable. What's her name?

[A]

Ollie.

[D]

Ollie. Hi, sweetheart.

[B]

Oh my God.

[D]

What breed is she?

[A]

She's part Papillon and part Chihuahua.

[D]

Ah, the pap.

[A]

She's the best part of Papillon and Chihuahua. Although I squeezed you too hard when I picked you up, didn't I? Is that.

[B]

What? Is that why your butt and I fell off? Ollie.

[A]

Her button eye. But now she's. She's giving you her good side.

[E]

She's licking yours.

[D]

Yeah. This is a real. This is a real Treat. This has been a running theme in our interviews and her dog as well.

[C]

This is why you got to do virtual interviews.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

Important to love a pet. I mean, I could. I could also show you my. My nice basil plant, but it doesn't have the charm as

[B]

when your basil plant licks you in the face. It's a little bit less comfortable than Ollie. Kisses.

[A]

Yeah. Although nice and aromatic.

[C]

Yeah. You smell great after.

[B]

You smell like pizza now.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Bye, kids.

[C]

Thank you so much.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

Bye.

[B]

Bye now.

[A]

Bye.

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[C]

What a fun interview. And. And Mark. Ton of fun.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, that was.

[D]

What a. What a fun day. Yeah. Really, really enjoyed that. I mean, he was generous. He was very generous with his time. And it's my favorite thing about being on these interviews is that they are willing to just like, go and really gab with us. And I don't know. Makes me feel like a person.

[C]

It does. It makes them feel like people and it makes me feel like just like how heroic.

[E]

Made Chopper feel like a person.

[D]

Like a person.

[C]

Tr.

[D]

Not a monster.

[B]

Not a monster.

[D]

Most people make me feel like a monster, but not Mark Erlich.

[C]

Alex. I'm sorry about that.

[E]

Yeah. Most people look at me and they just assume I'm a monster in heavy point form and just.

[C]

Oh, Steve, now I need to see what you would look like in your brain. Point. That's what it's called, right? Yeah.

[D]

Oh, I was going to say with. With the wig. With the hero look. Wig on.

[A]

Oh, well, that.

[D]

Yes. You thought you had a problem bumping your head on the ceiling before.

[E]

Don't send me to Japan. That's for sure.

[C]

Yeah, I'm like Mark's experience in that little hollow is the same as your experience in the entire nation of Denny's. Steven A. Denny's hitting his head.

[E]

You know how that is where I most am commonly found.

[B]

Most commonly found. Or Waffle House. Sorry, the.

[D]

Perhaps more accurate, not to be confused with Waffle House,

[B]

Rob Coletti.

[D]

A scene missing from the live action. Yeah, that's true.

[C]

Yeah. The spirit was there.

[D]

Yeah, 100%.

[C]

I'll say. My favorite part of these interviews, and this one is certainly no exception, is just like how vulnerable they are with. I think that's what makes us feel human too, and them feel human is, you know, with Michaela. Is it, you know, was a lot we talked about like her OCD and for him self loathing and like maybe just personally relate to a lot of these specific mental states. But it's so, it's just really heartening to see how they embody those seemingly challenging things into their characters and how they use it to really make these characters come to life in such an amazing way.

[D]

But it was really nice to talk shop with him as well. I really enjoyed hearing about his process and the actor's experience from that side of things. And I'm looking forward to talking with a lot of the other actors about their experiences in that realm too, especially ones who have dabbled and, and you spent some time in the theater because it is, you know, it is, it's. It is difficult. And it was really interesting getting his perspective on the whole thing, considering he's definitely been around the block for, for a while in that realm. So.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Quintessential working actor. The one thing that I thought was, you know, what a, what a great treasure as a performer, especially on one piece, to have such a contained story all to yourself, like a beginning, middle and end. But it also does mean that we're never going to have another opportunity to have him on the show. And that sucks ass because it's like, damn, I'm never gonna see this guy in OPLA again. And that does make me feel kind of bad.

[C]

You could always invite him back just to talk, you know, I mean, well,

[B]

us and the actual Netflix show. I'm just gonna be like, damn. Well, I don't wish Ehrlich was here.

[D]

I mean, I will say that I. I feel. I don't know if it, if it's gonna make the video cut, but I'm really glad that we got to meet his dog.

[B]

I will, I will try my damnedest to figure out how to clip that in.

[D]

Yeah, maybe that was. Maybe that was just for us. I don't know.

[C]

Yeah, maybe. Either way, we got to see his dog. So either we're bragging about it or we're just telling you about something you already saw. Either way. Either way. Yeah. No, I 100% agree. But also, it's One Piece. A character is not truly dead. When does a character truly die? They don't. They come back in flashbacks long after they're deemed marketable.

[D]

That's right. When does a character truly die? Is it when they're blown up by a big bomb that they're carrying away? When they're a falcon?

[A]

No.

[D]

No. Is it when. What's another character?

[E]

Giant gigantic lightning bolt comes down from the sky.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

No.

[E]

Right where they're standing. No.

[B]

Is it. Is it when you try to hold off a big beefy ass guarded impel down? No.

[D]

That's right.

[B]

Whoever the hell Bunklay was fighting. I don't remember.

[C]

Yeah, I don't even truly dies.

[D]

Who's fighting?

[E]

A character truly dies when Rox is ahead of them in the world. Top 100 character fandom.

[C]

That's true. That's true. Steve is right. Steve hit it on the nose. That's. You see? Perfect.

[D]

That's good.

[C]

That's it. That's it. That's it, Steve. That was a good one.

[D]

We need to do that again at some point and just go through every single One Piece character that has seemingly died on screen and then just come back, Igorom included.

[A]

I guess

[E]

It's a good YouTube short. I think that's.

[C]

That's. That's a good YouTube short. We should do that. If we did YouTube shorts, we would absolutely do that.

[B]

And then it ends with the ones the comedians said.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

You're like my dad pitching material to me. Jesus Christ.

[C]

I am a dad.

[E]

It's not like I'm telling you to do political cartoons or something. Delaney, calm down.

[D]

You can draw. Why don't you say something about the government?

[B]

Do you have any opinions about the World government?

[D]

The World government? Jesus.

[C]

The world government? Yeah.

[D]

The World government's one piece, not the current.

[B]

You can't do like a Ben Garrison one piece.

[C]

I do not know when this comes out, so who even knows how relevant.

[D]

Anyway, yeah, we're still recording.

[C]

We are still recording. Check out all of our other episodes of OPLA from season one and season two. Season one features a lot of the crew. We recorded that during the writers strike. So a lot of, you know, we got to talk to the. The wig makers, including Amanda Ross McDonald. We got to Speak with a lot of the directors, the producers, you know. Definitely worth listening to those in season two. I still think about Build a Bear Helmeppo with Aiden Scott. That was such a fun one.

[A]

The.

[C]

Sorry. I should have had these all in front of me. They're all great and you should listen to them. That's. I feel like a good pitch. I think that's everything, Steve. Where could people find you? Do you have anything you want to plug?

[E]

Find me online, if I'm online.

[C]

What did he call it? A fungus? Very. I saw you nodding profusely, Steven.

[D]

I'm like. I mean, I was. That made me feel so good.

[E]

Yeah. Almost like I was a PEZ dispenser. That's how hard I agreed you media is a fungus.

[D]

It's not.

[C]

Social media is a fungus. That's what it was. Was it the Internet and not our fans? Certainly. And if you are not our fans, you're like a channel or like, except for our fans. I've said this. I've said this. Delaney. Where could people find you?

[B]

Infinite Snow Pro on Blue Sky. Infinite Snow Productions on YouTube. If you haven't subscribed to the channel, subscribe soon. Because there will be a video coming out within the next couple months, ideally. And it's shaping up to be a heavy hitter. So, you know, that's that. Now's the time, Patreon as well. You're getting recaps and watching Revolutionary Girl Lieutenant on my Discord server and posting them on my page. You only get that as a patron. And, yeah, it's about it for me.

[D]

Alex, when does this come out?

[B]

Next week.

[D]

Next week. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Well, if this comes up before the 28th, please come to Baltimore and see me do Super Art Fight. It's Marty's last show. If this comes out after the 28th, you missed it. Sorry. You can find me.

[C]

Why did you miss it? You should have known.

[D]

You can find me on Blue sky at. Dude, exclamation. You can find Weeb Simpsons on Blue Sky.

[C]

I hate to say I don't think

[D]

this at Web Simpsons.

[C]

I don't think this is coming out before then, so.

[D]

Well, you guys missed it. You blew it.

[B]

You did a bad job.

[D]

Sorry. It was a really fun show. Probably. There were a lot of fun surprises that you missed.

[C]

Yeah. So you can find me@zach logan.com on Blue Sky. That's it. I try and stay out of the fung. The fungus patch. Whatever.

[D]

Trust the fungus.

[C]

There's just one fungus, though. There's just one. We're gonna Go on about this, Delaney, and you're gonna.

[E]

But you're a fun guy.

[B]

No, I'm not cutting any of this out. Fucking live with it.

[D]

No, I am putting the hammer down.

[C]

So if you haven't this season. We've already talked to Michaela Hoover, who played Chopper. The episode before this was with Brendan Murray, who we also had on the regular podcast. That one was great. Also a Shakespearean actor. We have since. I know Alex mentioned it. Next time or soon. The year after. The schedule is not exactly perfectly worked out, but we're going to have Aura. Who sang the. Tony. Tony. Tony. Tony Chopper or Tony Tony. Tony. How many Tonys? Several.

[D]

How many Tonys? None. Because it's not a stage show.

[B]

Now we really are in Tony. Tony Meisner. We're just going to get locked in a Tony cycle until our acting teacher begrudgingly tells us to stop.

[D]

That's funny.

[C]

We also. We're gonna have Rob Coletti on Wrap it up, people. And we're gonna have the visual effects folks from Frame Store on the show as well. Very exciting and hopefully more. Remember, we recorded this however long ago. I mean, we dated it. It was the day Chopper decided to join Doctors Without Borders. So you could figure that out. I'm not. I'm not going to do the work for you. Anyway, we'll see you next time, everyone. My name is Zach.

[E]

My name is Steve.

[D]

And my name is Alex.

[B]

And Opla.

[C]

Opla.

[E]

Delaney. Her name is Delaney.

[D]

And their name is Delaney.

[C]

Opla.

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