Exclusive: One Piece’s Makoto Tamura on voicing King and Marvel’s Black Panther — 'This is where I should be'

From theatre stages to the world of anime and Hollywood superheroes, Makoto Tamura has carved out a career that’s as rich as his vocal range. The man behind King in One Piece didn’t start in anime, however. He was a stage actor first.

He explained to us at the Dubai FNDM, “I was originally into theatre and was an actor, and some people told me to pursue my dream in voice acting. It was tough, and I was bad in the beginning, as so many people told me. I could act on the stage but not on the mic.

But fate intervened when he landed the chance to voice Chadwick Boseman in Marvel's Black Panther in Japan. “When I saw it in the movie, I thought that maybe, this was where I should be.”

Transitioning from stage to studio wasn’t just about speaking into a microphone. It was about learning to channel subtle emotion without the physical presence of a live audience. For King, a character that’s quiet and withholding, Tamura needed to master an entirely different set of tools. “I focused, using Japanese spiritual training. I concentrated, and I went to Karaoke songs, before the recording, I went to train for an hour.”

Yes, you read that right: karaoke as part of professional voice preparation. It helps him warm up his vocal chords in a personal space.

Voicing King offered a contrast unlike anything Tamura had tackled before. “When I heard about the audition, and heard his voice, it was so kind and calm. Chadwick’s voice is so nice and soft. King’s voice is stronger, and so there’s a contrast.” That ability to switch between soft warmth and powerful intensity is what makes Tamura’s performances so compelling, whether he’s in anime, dubbing international films, or working on high-concept projects.

Even seasoned pros encounter challenges, and for Tamura, one of the toughest came while dubbing Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. “This character had my voice, so when I was dubbing the voice for the guy, I was trying to catch his rhythm, and it took longer than I expected. It took more than 30 hours.” The painstaking work of matching Nolan’s intricate pacing required patience, precision, and stamina—but Tamura’s background as a stage actor gave him exactly that.

Maintaining his vocal health is a surprisingly low-tech affair. “I think that I have a strong voice. I am a stage actor. Instead of over-caring, I just do Karaoke.” For him, it’s about keeping the instrument of his voice in top form while still having fun—a philosophy that clearly translates into every character he breathes life into.