Taz Skylar Homaged His Own Mom In Sanji’s Emotional Scene in ONE PIECE Season 2 (Interview)

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Sanji, particularly in the Netflix live-action version of One Piece, is usually a very optimistic and cheerful character. Taz Skylar portrays this perfectly with his acting, smile, and playful winks. However, in season two, Sanji struggles when he learns about Nami’s serious illness. This leads to a powerful and moving scene where Sanji reveals a more vulnerable side, hinting at the tragic events of his past with Nami. Even while emotional, Skylar brilliantly maintains a hint of Sanji’s signature smile, adding depth to the moment. We recently spoke with Taz Skylar about bringing this complex scene to life and discovered something truly special: he drew inspiration from his own mother, subtly honoring her within the scene.

Fans of Sanji from the One Piece anime and manga are familiar with the sad story of his family. Although the first season of the live-action series didn’t explore this, in the upcoming season, Sanji shares a painful part of his past with Nami: his loving, but brief, relationship with his mother. Sanji deeply loved his mom, who sparked his passion for cooking, but she sadly passed away when he was young.

Skylar pointed out how unusual it is for an actor to have a long, uninterrupted stretch of dialogue – a page and a half in this case. He felt it was a sign of trust that he and his co-star, Emily Rudd, were given the space to connect and perform purely through acting and genuine emotion. I thought the result was incredibly powerful and deeply moving.

Skylar acknowledges the scene was a demanding one, but the close connection he shares with his co-star, Emily, made it easier. He felt the pressure to make the lengthy speech compelling, but being able to deliver it while looking into Emily’s loving and understanding eyes was a truly special experience. What made it even more meaningful was that the scene, which focuses on a mother-son relationship, was filmed with Skylar’s own mother present on set – and on his birthday, no less. She was there, watching the filming from inside the tent.

Great acting often means completely becoming someone else. But the most powerful performances also connect to genuine human feelings, making the character feel real and relatable. That’s what happened with Skylar in this scene. Paul Rudd, who we also spoke with, pointed out, “You even used your mom’s accent!”

“I used my mom’s voice!” Skylar crows with true delight, “I’m so glad you remember that!”

He shared that he paid tribute to his own mother while writing dialogue for Sanji. Specifically, when Sanji references or quotes his mother, the writer used his own mother’s voice and accent for those lines, ensuring it will always sound like her.

Everyone on the cast thought it was a really touching moment, and we agree. The way the voice actor drew inspiration from his own mother for Sanji’s mom made the dialogue feel incredibly genuine and emotional, even bringing tears to our eyes. You can clearly hear that connection in episode eight of One Piece season two, when Sanji says, “Oh my little prince, what have you brought for me today?” Taz Skyler’s voice subtly changes during that line, making it even more heartfelt.

It’s incredibly touching to see these heartwarming moments for both Sanji and his mother, and Taz Skyler with his own mom. These scenes beautifully reveal more of Sanji’s character, blending tears and smiles into a truly wonderful display of emotion.

One Piece season two is now streaming on Netflix.

Rotem Rusak, who leads the editorial team at TopMob, particularly liked the increased focus on the character Sanji in the second season of One Piece.

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2026-03-10 11:06