Picture: Cole Escola (left) and Mr. 2 (right)
With production soon to begin on the third season of One Piece season 3, the live-action series has found one of its cast members for one of the biggest fan favourites of the series, Bon Clay, aka Mr. 2 of Baroque Works. Playing the flamboyant but deadly assassin is the Tony Award-winning actor Cole Escola.
Netflix has seen a huge increase in the number of cast members for the second season of One Piece, but with the second season dropping on March 10, 2026, Tomorrow Studios is already gearing up to produce season 3 in South Africa. As such, there will be a conveyor belt of new actors announced as several exciting new characters are introduced over the course of the “Alabasta Arc.”
One such character fans are excited to see in action is Bon Clay, aka Mr. 2, an assassin and a member of Baroque Works. The character has long been a fan favorite of One Piece fans, and arguably one of the most flamboyant characters of the entire story.
In order to play a flamboyant character, you need to find an equally compelling and flamboyant actor, which is why the casting of Cole Escola is nothing short of a stroke of genius.
Cole Escola (They/Them) is an American comedian, actor, singer, and a playwright. They are most well known for their work on the stage, having performed in multiple cabaret shows such as Our Hit Parade, Jukebox Jackie, Rock Botto,m and more. The actor was the first non-binary performer to win a Tony Award for Best Actor, thanks to their performance in Oh, Mary! as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
Picture: Cole Escola (left) and Bon Clay aka Mr. 2 (right)
They have also starred in several television shows, such as Tuca & Bertie, Search Party, Big Mouth, The Girls on the Bus, and, most recently, The Simpsons.
Given the actor’s stage pedigree and their ability to slip between male- and female-centric roles, there are arguably few actors in Hollywood better suited to the role of Bon Clay than Cole Escola.
It must be noted that we previously reached out to Netflix this morning prior to Deadline posting the exclusive, but did not receive a response until after the Deadline article was published.
We expect several more cast members to be announced soon, as production for season 3 ramps up.
Are you excited about the casting of Bon-Chan and Ace? Let us know in the comments below!
