We caught up with actor Ralph Macchio who is reprising his role from The Karate Kid, this time in season three of Netflix's hit series Cobra Kai.
- Cobra Kai takes place more than 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, with the continuation of the conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). The story revolves around a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence, who reopens the Cobra Kai dojo in an effort to get his life back on track and find redemption for his 1984 defeat. This reignites his rivalry with a now-successful LaRusso.
- Cobra Kai stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who are both reprising their roles from The Karate Kid and co-executive producing the series.
- Macchio gained fame from his three Karate Kid films. Other marquee roles for Macchio include playing Johnny Cade in The Outsiders, Jeremy Andretti in Eight Is Enough, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, Eugene Martone in Crossroads, Archie Rodriguez in Ugly Betty, and his recurring role as Officer Haddix in The Deuce.
- Although streaming services' ratings are not well known, some networks post their successes. In May of 2018 and April of 2019, the first episodes of seasons one and two respectively were the world's most in-demand streaming television show. As of September 2020 the pilot episode has over 90 million views and the first episode of season two has over 86 million views, according to the market research company Parrot Analytics.
- Macchio, who is 59, starred in The Karate Kid in 1984 when he was 23 and believes the role changed his life. "It’s never gone away from me personally, but now to see it on this global level in every language imaginable and how people are embracing these characters and this story moving forward, it’s quite unique to have that," he said. "You can talk to Mark Hamill and you can say the same thing, but there’s a very select few that can resonate across the decades this way."