One Piece’s Charithra Chandran Says Racism Is Inevitable, Here’s How She Deals With It!
Charithra Chandran says racism is “the nature of the business” for people of colour.
Charithra Chandran recently starred in the second season of the One Piece live-action series. The British actress of Indian origin plays Miss Wednesday in the recently released episodes. Despite receiving global attention for her role in Netflix’s Bridgerton, she still suffered from racist rhetoric spewing about her casting. Read about how she feels that people of colour face backlash and how she dealt with it while stepping into such an iconic role.
One Piece Season 2’s Charitra Chandran Says She Is Used To Racism In The Acting Business
For many of us, watching a woman who looks like us star in iconic roles is affirming. Charithra Chandran’s turn as Edwina Sharma (alongside Simone Ashley‘s Kate) propelled her to worldwide fame. However, with that fame comes a fair bit of bigotry.
In a recent interview with India Today, Chandran expressed that racism is the “nature of the business” in acting. Despite not paying attention to the hate about one’s ethnicity, it always exists. While it doesn’t hurt any less, she claims she is now “so used to it.”
Her advice to other women of colour trying to make it in the entertainment industry is to go to their loved ones for support. If one is “secure” and “uplifted by people in life” who understand one’s worth, it becomes easier to deal with. The actor added that one should avoid both good and bad comments made online. Loved ones who care no matter what will stick by, and they are the “people that matter.”
Comparing her outlook to that of Miss Wednesday (Nefertari Vivi), Charithra Chandran proclaimed that one has to push and keep going while ignoring the “naysayers” who “don’t matter.” About her preparing to take on the reins of such an iconic character, she said she “mined” the manga and anime created by Oda Sensei as source material. Building off of that, she attempted to make Vivi new and exciting.
Inspired by her young family members, the Bridgerton actress says her dream is “people dressing up as characters [she’s] done.” Adding that a person of colour is the “best responsibility,” she affirms her pride as a brown, Indian person. Concluding, Charithra Chandran hopes to “do [her] community proud.”
Also Read: One Piece Season 2 Binge Begins: Fans Praise New Episodes And Characters!
Based on the anime of the same name by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece Season 2 follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew, who must enter the Grand Line while fighting new villains who get in the way. Watch all episodes of the series on Netflix!
First Published: March 12, 2026 9:08 PM
