Robyn Lively Talks Karate Kid: Part III Frustrations and Revisiting Jessica Andrews in Cobra Kai
Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
Warning: This post contains spoilers for season 5 of Cobra Kai.
Robyn Lively was ready to catch up with her character from Karate Kid: Part III and knew it was just a matter of time before she would get the chance in Cobra Kai. Although she had been in the industry for years, much like her siblings, prior to being cast as Jessica Andrews in the 1989 film, the actress calls the experience a "career highlight."
In the final installment of the Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita trilogy, Lively's Jessica worked in a pottery shop across the street from the Bonsai business started by Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Morita). Jessica was originally written to be a romantic interest for Daniel, following the formula of the prior two hit films in the series. But, the story goes, Macchio was uncomfortable with the age difference between himself, 28, and Lively, 18, so the script was changed for the pair to be just friends.
In Cobra Kai, Jessica reappears 35 years later in season 5 and is revealed to be the cousin of Daniel's wife, Samantha (Courtney Henggeler). Samantha and Jessica reconnect when Samantha visits her mother in Ohio amid a fight with Daniel. Jessica's return comes with two Easter eggs from Part III: a mac and cheese reference and Elizabeth Anne Rooney, who (off screen in the film) stole Jessica's boyfriend. In Cobra Kai, Sunny Mabrey has a cameo as Elizabeth.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Lively pulls the curtain back on her return to the franchise and spills on some frustrations felt making Part III, the least popular of the three with critics and fans. She also explained how fulfilling it was to get another shot at playing Jessica — but this time in a far more upbeat environment for the popular Netflix series.
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Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
Were you surprised when you got the call to join the Cobra Kai, or did you assume, by this point, it was a matter of time?
Robyn Lively: I definitely assumed it was a matter of time, and I was anxiously awaiting the call. So, when it came in, I was super excited, as you can imagine!
How was it getting a second bite at the apple with Jessica and reexamining her life since Part III in 1989?
It was so wonderful, I can't even tell you. When I got the script, I couldn't imagine how they were going to integrate Jessica into the Cobra Kai universe. And hats off to [creators] Josh [Heald], Jon [Hurwitz] and Hayden [Schlossberg] for coming up with this ingenious way to weave her into the universe by being a part of the LaRusso family. It's beyond anything I could have imagined. I just think they absolutely hit this one out of the park, and they could not have come up with a better story for her, in my opinion.
Karate Kid diehards didn't miss the mac and cheese line or Elizabeth Ann Rooney Easter egg. That must have been a kick for you to have those included in there.
Yeah! [Laughs] So, if you didn't recognize Jessica at the door, you're definitely going to know it's her when she says she's got 10 lbs. of mac and cheese. And then she scraps with Elizabeth Ann Rooney!
I think it is clear, by this point, that the series is so popular because it perfectly blends nostalgia with new stories. What was it like for you to be a part of this as a legacy character?
To be a part of The Karate Kid franchise in Part III was an absolute career highlight. I was a huge fan of the films and now of Cobra Kai. I've known Billy [Zabka] for more years than I can count. Ralph, I haven't seen him since I was 20, but I absolutely adore him. The rest of the cast was so delightful and professional and kind and everything that you'd hoped they would be and then some.
Speaking of Part III, how do you feel about the film? Ralph has been honest with his frustrations over it. But when I spoke with Sean Kanan and Thomas Ian Griffith, they both told me the film was special since it was their big break, but sympathized with Ralph's disappointment.
I have to say I probably sit right where Thomas and Sean sit because, again, for me, it was an absolute career highlight. I did sense the frustration on set as we were filming. We didn't have a complete script. There were a lot of changes coming at us daily, and those are difficult circumstances to work under. And coming off the original and Part II, which were so successful and so fantastic, I'm sure they had high expectations, so I definitely sensed it. But Ralph was ever professional and kind and warm and lovely to work with.
Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
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In my research, I read that Jessica was to be a love interest, but given the age difference between you and Ralph, that was changed when he expressed his discomfort. Can you shine any light?
Absolutely. I don't remember exactly how we were written, but I just know that there were some rewrites, and we ended up being friends. I don't really know the specifics of why. I can imagine it was the age difference. I don't know what Ralph's involvement was, but there was a significant age gap, so that probably was it.
And then, finally, my favorite question to ask anyone who knew him: Do you have a Pat Morita memory you don't mind sharing?
Pat was everything that you had hoped he would be. He was funny, charming and delightful. I went to junior high with his daughter, which I didn't even realize until he was like, "You go to school with my daughter." [Laughs] I didn't have a lot of screen time with him or spend much time with him, but the little time that I did get to spend was absolutely wonderful.
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All five seasons of Cobra Kai are streaming now on Netflix.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
