The casting of Tony Tony Chopper in One piece Season 2 has already generated huge buzz, but few expected the story behind it to be so surprising. Actress Mikaela Hoover recently revealed that she once thought she was auditioning for a completely different and much less glamorous character.
During the podcast One Piece: In the Grand Lineco-hosted with Charithra Chandran, Hoover shared that his journey into the beloved franchise began under a veil of secrecy. The casting team described the role as only a part “a three-episode Netflix show,” without mentioning One piece or its global popularity.
At the time, Hoover was unfamiliar with the world created by Eiichiro Oda and even considered declining the audition due to his busy schedule. However, the production team’s persistence convinced her to give it a try, not realizing that she was entering one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world.
What makes the story even funnier is the way Hoover imagined the character. Based on the description of “a being who has been rejected and bullied his entire life,” he imagined something completely different from Chopper.
“I thought it was a small, slimy, one-eyed creature that was kind of disgusting and weird,” he admitted, believing he was auditioning for an unappealing, almost monstrous role.
The truth only came to light when a producer accidentally mentioned the name “Chopper”, leaving Hoover confused. It wasn’t until he officially landed the role and found out he was for it One piece that everything worked and the reaction was emotional.
Instead of being excited about joining the global hit, Hoover revealed that she broke down in tears over her connection to the character. Without knowing Chopper’s iconic design or popularity, she had already fallen in love with the character’s emotional depth through the script alone.
Charithra Chandran, who plays Vivi, also highlighted the beauty of that moment: Hoover loved Chopper “for what is inside”, not because of his adorable looks or his status as a fan favorite.
Ironically, this misunderstanding may have led to the perfect casting choice. Tackling the role of a misunderstood and rejected being, Hoover tapped directly into Chopper’s original emotional core: a reindeer marginalized by both humans and his own species.
This raw, unfiltered connection is now raising expectations for season 2, with fans anticipating a version of Chopper that’s not just cute but also deeply moving.
Sources: gamek
