Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprised their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively, bringing back two of the original film’s most recognizable characters. Most likely, if you enjoyed the Karate Kid films, you have already seen Cobra Kai.
The show premiered on YouTube Premium in 2018 and was later picked up by Netflix in June 2020 after two seasons.
The fight scenes between the characters of the lead co-stars in the popular Netflix series still serve as on-screen rivals and provide fans with fond memories.
Off-screen, though, things are pretty different. They get along well, but after working together to make the second Karate Kid movie, they lost touch.
While Macchio played a LaRusso for the final time, Zabka moved on to other ventures because he did not feature in the third film.
How then did the two actors carry their on-screen friendship to Cobra Kai and make sure it worked? Macchio praises their “magical” chemistry and common background.
William Zabka and Ralph Macchio’s chemistry
Page Contents
The first time Macchio and Zabka appeared on camera for Cobra Kai since their Karate Kid days was during a conversation with journalist Kara Swisher on The New York Times’ Sway podcast.
He revealed that the pair had not appeared on camera since the 1980s and that most of their dialogue-free scenes were physical even while they were filming the movie.
After filming, they didn’t spend a lot of time talking to each other while sitting down in a coffee shop. But even though they had not spoken for more than three decades, they instantly clicked.
“Life had moved on. There were a few more lines and fewer hairs, but there was a certain magic between us that I don’t think we even had back then, said Macchio.
The actor went on to say that he thought one of the main factors contributing to his strong chemistry with Zabka was their shared connection to an object of cultural significance since the 1984 release of the first Karate Kid.
The actor remarked that it “had to do with sharing a unique connection of being connected to this entity that we all share from a different perspective, which is something that doesn’t happen very often.”
William Zabka Also Sensed the Friendship Spark
Despite never having previously repeated their renowned personas on-screen, Zabka also felt a kinship to his co-star. The actor recalled when they shot the opening scene for season one of Cobra Kai in January 2021 during a joint interview with Macchio on The View.
When Macchio’s LaRusso entered Zabka’s Johnny’s dojo, it was the first time the two of them exchanged eye contact.
“It was very tasty, and we knew right away… these guys were back with their baggage, and it felt alive. And we experienced that feeling after finishing that scene and leaving the set.
We had faith that this would succeed, said Zabka. He continued, “I sensed the event would be fantastic and that everything seemed special.”
Also Read: Simon Sinek Motivating Speech On Wife, Relationship
