Cole Escola, the Tony Award-winning star of Broadway's "Oh, Mary!," has joined Netflix's live-action "One Piece" cast to play Bon Clay in Season 3.

The announcement marks the first major casting reveal for the upcoming season of the beloved manga adaptation.​

Escola, an openly non-binary performer, will take on the theatrical assassin character who is also being portrayed as non-binary in the live-action adaptation. In a Netflix description, Bon Clay is characterized as "a master of performance and precision, Bon Clay is as dangerous as they are dazzling—a theatrical assassin who turns combat into art." Within the "One Piece" narrative, the character holds the title of Mr. 2 Bon Kurei and serves as a member of the Baroque Works criminal organization.​

The casting aligns well with Escola's theatrical background. They created and starred in "Oh, Mary!," a drag queen-inspired retelling of the life of Mary Todd Lincoln that took Broadway by storm. Escola won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for their performance, becoming the first openly non-binary recipient of the honor. The production previously ran on Broadway and will continue its international run at the West End in London.​

Beyond their stage work, Escola has appeared in numerous television productions. They have guest-starred on "At Home with Amy Sedaris" and had recurring roles in shows including "Search Party," "Difficult People," and "Big Mouth." Escola will also appear in the upcoming A24 comedy "Jonty" alongside Jesse Plemons.​

Production on Season 3 is expected to begin filming later this year in Cape Town, South Africa. The season will adapt the Arabasta Arc from the original manga series. Series regulars, including Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji, are expected to return.​

Netflix renewed the live-action "One Piece" for Season 3 in August, before the release of Season 2. The second season, titled "One Piece: Into the Grand Line," is scheduled to premiere on March 10, 2026. The series has already achieved massive success globally, with Season 1 reaching the number one position in over 75 countries and accumulating nearly 100 million views.

Tags
One Piece, Netflix, Star, Season 3