The young protagonists of ‘Cobra Kai’ Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso) and Peyton List (Tory Nichols) celebrate that their characters have become the feminine power of the series and that, in some way, this represents diversity and openness for women within the industry.
“I am excited about the way the girls are being represented in the dojo. I particularly like the way the script is written, especially in the parts where Samantha (her character) is upset with the decisions she makes and that’s real. Nobody does things right the first time, they learn along the way. I really love that he makes mistakes, it is a real and honest representation of a young girl trying to cope with life ”, says Mary Mouser (25) about her character and the fourth season of the series, which opens next Friday, December 31 in Netflix.
In fiction, she and Peyton List are rivals. Samantha LaRusso has been raised in a traditional family and is the daughter of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), sensei of the Miyagi Dojo. Instead, Tory Nichols is the favorite student of Cobra Kai’s sensei John Kreese, an emotionally deprived teenager who grew up in a dysfunctional family.
In real life, both actresses are friends and they care about each other. “In the fight scenes between the two, I literally have fire in my soul. But between unemployment and unemployment, we make sure we are fine, ”says Mary Mouser.
“When the director says action !, we hate each other and, when he says cut !, we immediately ask ourselves: are you okay?” Adds Peyton List.
In this fourth season, the enemy dojos will face each other in competition, so the physical preparation has been intense: “It had to be noted that you had been training for months, so you had to follow the character in the storyline and make him look as real as possible. But we had access to the best stuntmen and we were fortunate that they shared their knowledge with us, ”reveals Peyton.
The 23-year-old actress, who became known in the series ‘Jessie’ (Disney Channel), as Emma Ross, said that several times she was injured on stage, but for “clumsy”. “My clumsiness surpasses my martial arts skills in many ways. I’ve tried to come out with the fewest injuries each season, but they’re all entirely my fault. In the latter, I collided with a metal structure and broke my big toe, “he says between smiles.
On their relationship with the adult stars of ‘Cobra Kai’: Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, Peyton says: “We are very fortunate to work with them, they are very kind, with huge hearts and very talented. During the last season we have been living very close to them and it has been very pleasant, because I had a cold and could send them a message saying: can you bring me a chicken soup? When I broke my finger, Ralph Macchio was kind enough to walk my dog for me, ”recalls List.
For Mary Mouser, the message of ‘Cobra Kai’ is clear: “It talks about different topics that are very generational like bullying or self-esteem and it’s great because there are many options for people to feel seen and identified with the characters. I like that the series does not skimp on touching delicate topics and talks about them in a very honest way, while still seeing the happy side of ‘Cobra Kai’ ”. ❖
Action. Peyton List (Tory) with Tanner Buchanan (Roby) and Martin Kove (John Kreese).
Tory and Samantha. Peyton List and Mary Mouser.
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