Ralph Macchio has been playing Daniel LaRusso since The Karate Kid began filming in October 1983. He’s now played the character in three feature films and five seasons of Cobra Kai, with the sixth set to kick off on Netflix on July 18th. Yes, Daniel’s gone through a significant and compelling evolution each step of the way, but how do you continue to keep that up? Even Macchio himself admits he’s wondered, “What can we do to unearth something with this guy that he's not just working at the dealership and being a pain in the ass to Johnny, and loving his family?” Turns out, Cobra Kai Season 6 found a character-changing, and franchise-changing way to do just that.
When Season 6 begins, there’s peace in the valley. Cobra Kai is out of the picture and Daniel, Johnny (William Zabka), and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) are able to join forces and focus on getting their students ready for the Sekai Taikai - for the most part. Not only are Daniel and Johnny still butting heads about teaching methods, but Johnny also has a baby on the way, and Daniel has his world rocked when shocking information is unearthed by his longtime teacher, mentor and idol, Pat Mortia’s Mr. Miyagi.
With the release of Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1 right around the corner, I got the chance to sit down with Macchio, Zabka, and Okumoto to discuss what’s coming their way this time around. The trio reminisced about especially memorable moments from filming Season 6, Zabka discussed the pressure Johnny is under heading into the Sekai Taikai, Macchio addressed how this new Mr. Miyagi information will crack open the character of Daniel LaRusso like never before, and more.
#cobrakai #netflix #interview #karatekid #ralphmacchio
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