Clashing steel, an encyclopedic knowledge, vast worlds and swashbuckling adventures are all in a day’s work for Julia Rehwald. In Netflix’s ‘One Piece’, we see Rehwald take up the mantle of Tashigi, a beloved character from the original anime and manga. Taking time from her busy filming schedule in Cape Town, South Africa, to chat with Schön!, she notes that making the show is an adventure in itself — one that she cherishes.
From learning swordplay to the point of fluidity to finding her voice as Tashigi, she makes the whole thing look easy. If you take a look through her IMDB credits, it’s all been leading up to this. Starting in theatre as a child, then going to school for screen, she found a real passion for performance, honing her craft. And now, this is where she finds herself: on one of the most successful shows Netflix has ever produced.
But before ‘One Piece,’ Rehwald had proven her mettle on other projects. Most notably, the original ‘Fear Street’ movie trilogy on Netflix. Her first time on a larger set, she went from being number three on the call sheet. A surreal experience that helped solidify that she was on the right path, the struggles in between were worth all the blood, sweat, and tears.
A real open world and sandbox to play in, Rehwald talks to Schön! about stepping onto the ‘One Piece,’ set for the first time, how she and Tashigi differ, the biggest lesson she learned from working on ‘Fear Street,’ and why making art with your friends is the best way to stay creative.
You’ve said previously that getting the role didn’t feel real until you arrived in Cape Town. What were those early days on set like?
It felt like a whirlwind leading up to leaving New York. When I finally got here, it hit me — I’m so far from home, and this is actually happening. I was given a tour of the studio and got to see everything everyone was preparing. The first month was mostly training: costume fittings, hair and makeup tests, and stunt work, including sword fighting.
I appreciated having that time to adjust and prepare. Starting with stunt assessments, you quickly realize this is something you really have to learn — and within a limited timeframe. It feels like stepping onto a moving train; once you’re on, you have to keep up with the pace. There’s not much time to overthink, which actually helped me, since I tend to do that. Being forced to just keep going was a great experience.
That’s incredible. I was going to ask what training for Tashigi involved. That confrontation between her and Zoro in the first episode looks so seamless. How long did the prep take between you and Mackenyu?
At first, I trained mostly on my own, learning the basics before moving on to choreography, which was taught in sections. Then it was about putting everything together. After that, Mackenyu and I trained together to refine the sequence before filming. It’s funny because that scene was supposed to be one of our first days on set together. But since it was winter in Cape Town and the scene was outdoors, the rain kept delaying it. It ended up being filmed on my last day, three months later. By then, Mackenyu and I were like, “Yeah, we’ve got this one.” [laughs]
It was nice that we started filming together in Loguetown and then ended the whole experience in the same place. We spent so much time learning the scene early on, only to shoot it much later — but in the end, I love how it all came together.
It worked out in your favour! So, in between filming, I know you dabble in video games. Did you end up finishing ‘Final Fantasy XIV’?
Yes — well, that might be a lie, because I haven’t fully finished. I completed the main story quests in ‘Dawntrail’, but I know there have been patches since, with raids and post–Main Scenario Quest storylines. So I’m a bit behind on that front. I played through the main storyline, but I haven’t touched the newer content yet. I’ll probably pick it back up when the next expansion comes out — just to refresh myself on the story and then jump straight into it.
Do you even have time to play between filming, or is it impossible?
‘Dawntrail’ actually came out while I was filming last season. I play ‘Final Fantasy XIV’ on PC, so I couldn’t bring it with me. My friends back home were all playing and keeping me updated. I got to play through it once I finished filming, and it was fun because they ran the dungeons with me and already knew everything, which was great for me [laughs]. Great in the sense that they already understood the mechanics.
This time around, though, I do have a Nintendo Switch — I got it for Christmas — and I’m currently playing ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’.
The set pieces feel like stepping into the ‘One Piece’ world, and that’s what really sells it. But that’s only part of the equation — the relationships on the show help define it, too. How would you describe the relationship between Zoro and Tashigi versus Tashigi and Smoker? In that first episode, it felt like Zoro could have killed Tashigi, but chose not to. Maybe he sees potential in her? And she calls him a brute, but it doesn’t seem like she fully believes it. What are your thoughts on their dynamic?
It’s interesting because there are definitely similarities in their personalities. They’re both very stoic and gruff, while Tashigi has such a different energy. There’s a throughline, though: whether she wants to admit it or not, she has a deep respect for both Smoker and Zoro — just in different ways. With Zoro, it’s almost immediate. She meets him and feels that respect and awe before she even knows he’s a pirate. Once she finds out, it complicates everything. It becomes hard for her to reconcile the person she admired with someone who goes against her very strict moral code.
But that respect doesn’t just disappear. She loves swords, and she believed he did too — but now that connection feels a bit tainted. What’s fun is how they represent different ends of the spectrum. Zoro is all about physical mastery, while Tashigi’s love of swords is more intellectual — she knows their history, how they’re made, and where they come from. It’s almost a historian’s approach.
They complement each other really well — like yin and yang. You can already see a bit of a spark there. And with Tashigi and Smoker, it’s almost like she’s the annoying sibling [laughter]. There’s a moment where he’s walking away from her and says, “Don’t do the happy dance,” while she’s literally in the middle of doing it.
I love their dynamic, and getting to film that with Callum (Kerr) is so much fun. We spend a lot of time together and hang out off-set quite a bit. We’re both soccer fans, so we watch a lot of games together on the weekends. That natural, buddy dynamic really carries over into filming, and I think you can feel that in season two.
Now, filming season three, we’re really leaning into it, which is great. You’d think Smoker would be constantly irritated by her, but it’s more like she’s his little sibling — he has a bit of a soft spot for her. And for Tashigi, it’s like, “He’s cool, and I’m kind of a nervous wreck because he’s such a cool guy, but we work well together.” As they start to trust each other more as partners, their relationship really begins to click in a satisfying way.
Incredible. Moving away from ‘One Piece’ for a moment, you’ve mentioned wanting to explore your range — specifically dabbling in the romance genre. You said, “We need some hope. We need some romance and love.” What films captured that feeling for you? What makes you want to tell those kinds of stories?
It’s a classic for a reason, but I’d say ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is one of my favourite movies. It’s a perfect blend of rom-com tropes while still being incredibly relatable and high quality. It doesn’t sacrifice any artistic value to deliver romance and comedy — it’s the full package. That’s the kind of rom-com I’d love to be part of. Franco Zeffirelli’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is my favourite film. Olivia Hussey is spectacular. It’s not a rom-com, but it’s firmly within the romance genre, so I had to mention it.
I’ve also watched so many early 2000s rom-coms. The Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks pairings — ‘You’ve Got Mail’ and ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ — and then Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land’ and ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’. There’s something so fun about watching a great pairing come together with a strong script, where the chemistry just jumps off the screen. It’s something I really crave as an audience member, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do as an actor. I’d love the chance to fall in love on screen, have fun with it, and find a scene partner where we’re both completely immersed in the story. That’s the dream.
Moving from romance to horror — I’m a big ‘Fear Street’ fan. Rest in pieces, Kate. [Julia laughs] That was one of your first experiences on a big set. What did you learn from that, and what would present-day Julia say to past Julia?
‘Fear Street’ felt like being thrown into the deep end. I shot it within a year of graduating from NYU (New York University). Before that, I had done a pilot for Amazon with a small recurring role, but I never got to see it. It was picked up, but they recast the entire thing after moving locations. I didn’t really feel like I had proper experience on a film set or knew what it was like to spend a long time on a project. Then with ‘Fear Street’, I was number three on the call sheet, and it was like, “Okay — you’re going to learn as you go, and you just have to trust yourself.” It worked. I talked with a lot of the crew, and they were surprised it was my first major project. I was terrified the whole time, but no one noticed — which was great [laughs]. Honestly, I’ve been really lucky between ‘Fear Street’ and ‘One Piece’. The cast and crew on both have been so supportive, on and off set. I’ve never felt isolated or like I didn’t have a support system. Every set I’ve worked on has been a really positive environment.
I think I’d tell my younger self to keep going, not give up, and not be so hard on herself. I’m very driven and a bit of a perfectionist, so when I feel like I’m not doing as well as I should, I can be pretty tough on myself. There was a period where I kept making it to the final round for roles — like the top two — but not booking them. I took that really personally and beat myself up over it.
But you have to shift your perspective and recognize, “Okay, you’re getting this far — it’s going to happen. It just takes time.” You have to keep putting yourself out there and keep working. You can’t give up on yourself. People will see what you’re doing, and eventually, that effort pays off.
I love that — and I think it applies to anyone in a creative field. Speaking of which, I wanted to touch on ‘The Last Hurrah’, since you’re credited as a writer on that. It’s your only writing credit so far. What was it like stepping behind the camera and having something be entirely your own? Did you enjoy that level of creative control?
It was wild. I had written in college, but I hadn’t done much since. This was around the time I was getting frustrated with not booking roles at the final stage. I started thinking, “Okay, there are other ways to keep acting and creating.” I didn’t want to just wait around for someone to cast me — I wanted to take more ownership and explore working behind the camera. Writing felt like the natural place to start.
It was definitely intimidating. As an actor, you’re playing a character. With writing, it’s coming from you — it’s personal in a completely different way. But I just wanted to make something and reconnect with that creative muscle I hadn’t used in a while. And honestly, just to make art with friends — which is something everyone should get to do. Over the past year, I’ve really gotten back into writing. It feels more natural again. I actually wrote a feature-length script with a friend that I’m really proud of. I started small with a short, kept writing on my own, and gradually built my confidence. Now it feels like, “Okay, let’s take this momentum and see where it can go.” It’s been a really exciting journey to explore alongside acting
What would you say to someone looking to make their own film?
For me, it always starts with finding something that genuinely excites me — whether that’s a friend I want to work with or a location I’m eager to shoot in. Start with something you feel completely certain about and build from there. Tell yourself, “This is what I want to make,” and let everything else grow around that.
It’s also okay to keep the scale small. Sometimes people put a lot of pressure on their first project — they think, “This is my first film, it has to be big, it has to be perfect.” But that mindset can actually stop you from making anything at all. You don’t need a 30-page short film script right away. Start with something manageable that you can execute well, and focus on making the best version of that.
I think people often put too much weight on being perfect. They want their first project to be flawless, but that doesn’t exist. You just have to start. Finishing something, anything, is an achievement in itself. It doesn’t have to win an Oscar. If you hold yourself to those kinds of expectations, you miss out on the experience of learning how to make something in the first place.
We need to take some of that pressure off and allow ourselves to be creative. Try things, see what works, and learn as you go.
Absolutely. The whole point is to have fun and make something with your friends. It doesn’t have to be perfect — you can screen it for friends and family. The important thing is just to create something.
And lastly, Julia, let’s circle back to ‘One Piece’. How has playing Tashigi challenged you as an actor in a way no other role has before?
Out of all the characters I’ve played so far, Tashigi is probably the furthest from my own personality, which actually makes her very clear to me. I’m not caught in that in-between of, “Is this how I would say it, or how she would say it?” They’re completely different.
The real challenge has been understanding how she thinks. Personally, I’d probably think pirates are awesome [laughs], so I have to actively shift into her mindset. I have to fully understand her belief system — her sense of justice, her values, and how that shapes everything she does. It’s not something I can just tap into naturally. I really have to break it down and work through it step by step, which I haven’t had to do with other characters before. But that’s what makes it such an exciting challenge.
photography. James Dayton
interview. Dana Reboe
