After charming audiences worldwide as the suave and selfless Sanji in Netflix’s One Piece, Taz Skylar returns to screens with something far more sinister. His latest project, Cleaner, trades pirate ships for moral shipwrecks — a tense thriller about radical activists who hijack an awards gala, only for one extremist to take things too far. It’s up to a former soldier, now a humble window cleaner, to save the day.
Shot entirely in a single location, Cleaner is as claustrophobic as it is compelling — a challenge Skylar admits was unlike anything he’s done before. To get a closer look at the film’s grit and psychology, we caught up with Taz to talk about playing darker roles, early job struggles, and how Cleaner compares to his blockbuster projects.
The title Cleaner might suggest purity, but the set was anything but clean. Skylar laughs recalling the film’s liberal use of swearing, admitting he probably added more F-bombs than the writer had intended. While the script, written by Simon, was elegant in its dialogue, Skylar’s delivery pushed it into a more explosive, naturalistic territory. “We even had to take some of the f-words out in the edit,” he says, showing his playful side while discussing a very intense film.
Shifting from a selfless hero to a morally ambiguous antagonist was a challenge, but Skylar sees the transition as a natural exploration of perspective. He explains that everyone thinks of themselves as the hero in their own story, and his character in Cleaner truly believes he is fighting for the right cause. While his methods are extreme and at times vindictive, the character is trying to reconcile his mission with his own personal code of honor. That complexity makes him inconsistent, but also deeply human, which is exactly what Skylar enjoys portraying.
The actor’s real-life experiences have also shaped his ability to dive into flawed, intense characters. Before acting, he worked numerous ordinary jobs, most of which didn’t last long. At fifteen, he worked in a surfboard factory under a vindictive manager who would deliberately make him clean the bathrooms after using them, while also shoveling white polyurethane dust for hours. He remembers being called “Spaz” daily. “It was horrible,” he says, recalling how those early, grueling experiences taught him endurance and resilience—qualities that serve him well when playing high-stakes characters.
Even when asked how he’d survive a hostage scenario himself, Skylar’s natural resourcefulness shines. He imagines himself as “a nightmare hostage,” someone who could find a way out, wait for the captors to relax, and act decisively to escape. It’s clear that whether on screen or in a hypothetical situation, he thrives on clever problem-solving.
Interestingly, moving from blockbuster productions like One Piece to grounded London-based films such as Gassed Up and Cleaner wasn’t as jarring as one might expect. Skylar notes that regardless of budget, filmmaking is always about problem-solving. Large productions come with bigger logistical challenges—pirate ships, elaborate sets—while smaller productions involve tight spaces and fewer resources, but both require collaboration, creativity, and patience. He considers himself lucky to consistently work with strong casts that make even the toughest shoots enjoyable.
Outside of work, Skylar still finds time for his own cinematic loves. When asked about his favorite action-thriller, he immediately names Point Break, and if he could play any villain, the Joker tops the list. With Cleaner, Taz Skylar proves he isn’t afraid to explore the darker side of storytelling while keeping audiences engaged, tense, and entertained.
The Cleaner is out Now!