Every now and then, Netflix brings out some kicker of a good series which usually features an appealing character that the world collectively fawns over.
This year, that character is none other than the green-haired swordsman from the live adaption series of the best-selling manga in history, One Piece, created by Japanese artist Eiichiro Oda.
From dank memes to thirsty tweets, Roronoa Zoro played by Japanese actor Mackenyu Arata has piqued the interest of many.
Let's find out more details about the actor playing this iconic role.
BACKGROUND
NAME, AGE, HOMETOWN
Mackenyu is a Scorpio born on November 16, 1996, making him 26 years old.
He was born in Los Angeles, California in the United States, but has moved to Japan for his professional career.
HEIGHT, BLOOD TYPE
Mackenyu stands at 5 feet and 10 inches tall—the second tallest member from the five main protagonists of One Piece.
There's a huge interest on blood types in East Asian culture due to the belief that they help define the personality of a person.
Mackenyu's more reserved and relaxed nature can be partly attributed to his blood type B.
FAMILY
Martial arts apparently run in Mackenyu's blood, being the son of legendary Japanese actor and martial artist in the '80s and '90s, Sonny Chiba.
Sonny had appeared in the classics Kill Bill, The Fast and the Furious, and The Street Fighter.
Before acting, he had already proven his physical caliber through winning at the National Sports Festival of Japan. He was third year high school.
Mackenyu's mom, Tamami Chiba, had another child after him, Gordon Maeda. The brothers have a half-sister, Juri Manase, from Sonny's previous marriage.
EDUCATION
When Mackenyu lived in LA, he attended Beverly Hills High School's Advanced Placement Program.
It was during these formative school years that he had the opportunity to engage with two life-long passions: sports and music.
INTERESTS
SPORTS
He began horseback riding and Yabusame—a ceremony in which archers clad in the hunting outfit of medieval warriors shoot at three targets as they race by on horseback—at the age of seven.
Mackenyu was eight when he was introduced to Kyokushin Karate, which gave him a third-pace finish at the US Kyokushin Karate Nationals during middle school.
In high school, he participated in gymnastics, water polo, and wrestling—where he became the school representative.
MUSIC
Mackenyu is also into music, and has been playing piano since he was 10 years old.
He later participated in the brass band of his high school in Beverly Hills, playing saxophone and flute.
ANIME
Throughout the cast's promotions for One Piece, Mackenyu has always been vocal about his surprise about being asked if he's a fan of anime.
In an instance, he playfully replied, "I'm Japanese, why would you even ask me that?"
He explained that he grew up with anime in Japan, and had always been a fan of different anime series. Although he would say that his favorite is the action fantasy, Hunter x Hunter.
Read: Hunter x Hunter, Fullmetal Alchemist voice actor Keiji Fujiwara dies from cancer
CAREER
ACTING
At 15, Mackenyu was inspired to pursue acting after watching a Japanese movie which starred the late Haruma Miura, whom he dreamt of acting alongside with. He was able to fulfill this dream when he did the project Gunjo Senki (2021).
He landed his first lead role at 16 in Take a Chance (2015), and has since then played in notable roles in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2017), Over Drive (2018), Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021), and One Piece (2023).
In the awards category, he has won two: the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2017 Japan Academy Film Prize, for his performance in Chihayafuru (2016), and the Best Supporting Actor at the 2015 Asians On Film Festival for his role in Tadaima (2015).
AMBASSADOR
Since 2018, Mackenyu has served as the face of Japanese men's grooming brand GATSBY.
PERSONAL LIFE
WIFE
The 26-year-old actor has been in a long-term relationship with his non-celebrity partner, whom he married in 2021.
There have been speculations about the couple expecting their first child together, while other reports claimed they have already welcomed their bundle of joy in late July of this year.
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