Since Cobra Kai premiered in 2018, William “Billy” Zabka has stepped back into the shoes of Johnny Lawrence. The character was introduced as Daniel LaRusso’s (Ralph Macchio) adversary in the 1984 film The Karate Kid. Over the past three seasons of Cobra Kai, Johnny has had a redemptive arc and has become a fan favorite.
In a recent interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, William Zabka revealed that he felt excited and somewhat hesitant after being pitched, Cobra Kai.
The Actor Was Pitched the Show at ‘a Mexican Restaurant’
GettyWilliam Zabka talks on a panel during the 2019 San Diego Comic Con.
He explained that he had been approached to star in the project by the series creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg. The actor noted that they had taken him “to a Mexican restaurant” to pitch him the series. He was unaware of what the project was going to be but he was familiar was their work.
“I worked with [Josh Heald] on Hot Tub Time Machine. I knew Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg from Harold & Kumar so I knew they were comedy writers. I knew their style,” explained the 55-year-old.
He said that while at the restaurant, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg pitched him the first season of Cobra Kai. He noted that he “was grabbing on to everything [he] could with what was familiar to [him] which was Johnny and Daniel and that story.” He revealed, however, that he was unable to fully “grasp” the storylines of the younger characters, like Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) and Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser).
He went on to say that he had questioned “the tone” of the show because “Karate Kid is a family movie.” Zabka also voiced his concern about how Johnny was going to be presented on Cobra Kai.
“I don’t want to double down on my d**********. Like I don’t want to end up being the worst bad guy of all time and take a proverbial crane kick to the face at the end of this thing so everyone hates me for all time,” explained the father-of-two.
The actor was assured, however, that Johnny would “be more of an anti-hero,” similar to the character Willie, played by Billy Bob Thornton, in the 2003 film Bad Santa.
“Then what they said was which really helped me understand the tone they said, ‘if there was no Karate Kid, we could call this Bad Sensei in the same way that Bad Santa,’ and then I clicked in and I kind of got it,” explained Zabka.
Zabka Felt ‘Stirred and Hopeful and Reluctant, a Little Bit’ Following the Meeting
Getty William Zabka strikes pose at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.
During the interview, Zabka noted that following the meeting, he had mixed emotions.
“I walked away feeling stirred and hopeful and reluctant, a little bit,” the actor recalled.
He suggested his reluctance stemmed from not wanting to harm the legacy of the popular franchise. Zabka then stated that the feeling was initially shared by members of the Karate Kid fandom.
“I think that when all the fans when they first saw this it was a little bit like don’t mess with that and I had that check in my spirit,” said Zabka.
He also noted that his co-star Ralph Macchio was hesitant about Cobra Kai for the same reason.
However, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg’s pitch convinced Zabka to join the cast of Cobra Kai.
“Their pitch was so solid they really were so passionate about Karate Kid so passionate about these characters passionate about me as a bad guy… they wanted to give me the a chance to to have a little redemption and all that was super exciting,” confided Zabka.
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