‘Cobra Kai’ Star Courtney Henggeler Originally Pitched a Bigger Season 3 Fight Between Amanda and John Kreese
Cobra Kai taught a lot of new characters Karate for its follow-up to The Karate Kid films. In Season 3, even some of the characters who haven’t learned Karate get in on the action. Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) had a moment with John Kreese (Martin Kove) in season 3 that would have been even more elaborate if Henggeler had gotten her way.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 3.]
Henggeler was on a Paley Front Row panel for Cobra Kai with her costars and creators. Henggeler revealed she was pushing for a bigger fight scene with Kreese.
Courtney Henggeler couldn’t stay out of the fight in ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3
Amanda is Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio)’s wife. They met long after The Karate Kid Part III, and except for using his kicks in their auto dealership ads, Amanda didn’t really experience Daniel’s Karate life. After two and a half season of Cobra Kai starting fights with their kids, Amanda finally went to confront Sensei Kreese.
“When they sat me down, they’re like, ‘You’re going to slap Kreese,’” Henggeler said. “I was like, ‘And knee him in the groin?’ They’re like, ‘No, just a slap.’ I was like, “I’ll take it.’”
Courtney Henggeler still got to do a minor ‘Cobra Kai’ fight scene
Okay, slapping a grown man in the face isn’t quite the same as an epic Karate fight through the halls of a school, or any of other Cobra Kai fight scenes. Henggeler was still nervous, as it was the only stunt she had to do.
“This whole show is about Karate,” Henggeler said. “Everybody’s doing Karate on it. I was so nervous because I was like with the King Cobra himself. I’m like, ‘Just be cool. Just land the hit, Courtney.’ So I wasn’t thinking so much about the acting as I was thinking look cool in front of Martin Kove. Then I hit him.”
Martin Kove gave Courtney Henggeler a special distinction
In Cobra Kai, Sensei Kreese is the ultimate enemy. On the set, everyone is friends. Henggeler was proud she got to land one blow on Kove and she thinks the feeling is mutual.
“I think it earned his respect to be honest with you,” Henggeler said. “To this day, he’s like, ‘You’re the only woman who has ever laid a hand on me.’”
‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3 was a turning point for Amanda
For the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, Amanda sort of mocked the childish behavior of Daniel and Johnny (William Zabka). Co-creator Josh Heald said it was fun to suck Amanda into the Karate drama in season 3.
“It’s so gratifying to have a character point that out and go, ‘You realize how ridiculous this is,’” Heald said. “Courtney has such a way of delivering it so believably and so hilariously. The turn was great in season 3 to see she finally gets drawn into it, experiences it. Daniel has a little bit of a ‘You see? Now you see why my heart is stopping so much.’”
Source: Paley Front Row
