Actor Martin Kove was not sure if he wanted to repeat his role as “Karate Kid” in Netflix’s “Cobra Kai”.
Admitting that he had to be “persuaded” to return by the show’s writers, Kove – who plays the villainous karate teacher John Kreese – told Page Six: “I was only interested in playing this role if he were a multifaceted character.”
The most recent season of “Cobra Kai”, which came out on January 1, explores the story of Kove’s character, which includes a difficult childhood and an agonizing period spent as a soldier in Vietnam.
“I don’t see him as a villain,” said Kove, 74. “I see him as a misunderstood character.”
He continued, “People don’t really hate my character, especially now that they have a broader understanding of what made him what he is.”
And while fans are now having a richer Kreese story, when the original film was released, they were not so friendly. Kove said he once got punched in the back in a supermarket while shopping in Malibu.
Kove laughed: “I turned around and was a child of about 7 years old and he said, ‘You hurt Ralph [Macchio]! ‘”
Meanwhile, “Cobra Kai” actress Courtney Henggeler admitted to Page Six that she was about to leave Hollywood when she landed her role on the series.