Jamie Lee Curtis Opens Up About Missing Her Shot at ONE PIECE Season 2 Role
Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 is finally here, and fans are loving the show’s continued commitment to bringing Eiichiro Oda’s world to life.
One of the standout arcs takes us to Drum Island, where audiences meet the lovable Tony Tony Chopper and the sharp-tongued doctor Kureha. But while the character made a memorable debut, one longtime fan didn’t get to be part of it… and she’s talking about it.
There was a lot of fan speculation leading up to the season about who might play Kureha, and many had their eyes on Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s been vocal about her love for One Piece for years, so it felt like a perfect match.
She was offered the role, but in the end, she had to turn it down and the role went to Katey Segal. Curtis recently addressed the situation while showing nothing but love for her friend’s performance.
“First of all, Katey Segal is a dear friend of mine, and she smashes it. And that’s her stomach. Whereas if it had been mine, it would have been a prosthetic. I’m telling you now, I could not.”
Curtis seems genuinely excited about how everything turned out. She also made it clear that missing the role wasn’t about lack of interest. It simply came down to logistics.
“I’m a legit fan, like a serious OG fan, with the American dubs back in the day. And the only reason I didn’t get to do it was because it was in South Africa and I was shooting something else, and I couldn’t go to South Africa.
“If it had been Los Angeles or any place nearer, I would have absolutely been able to be in it. But I’m so thrilled Katey did it, and it is fantastic. It is just the greatest adaptation of an anime and a manga into live-action.”
As a fan, Curtis clearly gets what makes One Piece special, which is probably why fans were so eager to see her join the cast in the first place.
As for whether she could still appear in the series someday as another character, that’s a bit of a question mark. One Piece has a massive roster of characters, and there’s always a chance Curtis could pop up somewhere down the line if schedules line up.
Season 3 is already gearing up for production and will take the Straw Hats into the Alabasta arc, a fan-favorite storyline packed with big moments and new faces.
As for when we’ll actually see Season 3 hit Netflix, patience is going to be key. The gap between the first two seasons stretched close to three years, and while the cast has mentioned they’re aiming for a quicker turnaround this time, a 2027 release doesn’t feel out of the question.
In the meantime, fans can enjoy Drum Island, Chopper’s debut, and Segal’s take on Kureha… while still wondering what could have been if Curtis had made it aboard the Going Merry.