If you’re a passionate Cobra Kai fan, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with Cobra Kai Nation.
Helmed by content creator Shamoon Saeed, the popular YouTube channel currently boasts over 70,000 susbscribers.
For the uninitiated, Cobra Kai is a television sequel to the beloved Karate Kid franchise. Classic characters including Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) return in a new medium.
Content creator Shamoon Saeed | Image courtesy of Cobra Kai Nation
Initially, the show aired on YouTube Red although it later moved to Netflix – picking up even more traction.
After six seasons, the beloved show is concluding with an epic three part finale event. The first five episodes dropped on July 18, 2024.
Shamoon’s work on Cobra Kai Nation has brought him up close and personal with certain cast members. But more on that later…
Background
As we’re looking Shamoon’s incredible journey over the years, the beginning seems a good place to start.
Raised in South East England, his love for Film, TV and Pop Culture long predates covering Cobra Kai.
He is a passionate fan of the show and has extended his fandom to explore exciting media opportunities.
Shamoon revealed: “I became a fan of the show since the YouTube Red days, first watched it in 2018 then became obsessed with it before Cobra Kai S2.
“I wanted to become a content creator for my passion for Film & TV and Pop Culture, so I started my first channel called ‘Shamoon Reacts’.
“But [I] then realised Cobra Kai was such a passion I then created ‘Cobra Kai Nation’ in 2020.”
His content ranges from interviews, predictions and first-looks – with his videos each gaining thousands of viewers.
Meeting the stars
Remember how I mentioned Shamoon’s chats with cast members?
Some of many examples include Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri), Vanessa Rubio (Carmen), Owen Morgan (Bert) and Oona O’Brien (Devon).
More recently, he spoke to Cobra Kai stars at Season 6, part 1’s Los Angeles premiere.
Shamoon with Tanner Buchanan, who plays Robby Keene | Image courtesy of Cobra Kai Nation/Instagram
Here, Shamoon interviewed Xolo Mariduena (Miguel), Jacob Bertrand (Eli/Hawk), Dallas Young (Kenny) and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen).
Perhaps most notably, he spoke to Ralph Macchio, whose beloved character Daniel LaRusso started off this journey.
Shamoon asked: “What’s been the best thing about playing Daniel LaRusso?”
Ralph replied: “Being true to his character, passing on the wisdom and always being a piece of that wish fulfilment that he was in the original film”.
A few months earlier, Shamoon moderated the Cobra KaiQ&A Celebrity Panel at ATL Comic Convention.
He was joined on stage by cast members Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo, Peyton List (Tory) and Joe Seo (Kyler).
Shamoon with Gianni DeCenzo, Peyton List, Joe Seo and Jacob Bertrand | Courtesy of Cobra Kai Nation/Instagram
The panel itself is available to watch on the CKN channel, where it has been viewed over 9,000 times.
Aside from Cobra Kai, Shamoon has also also attended film premieres and makes wider content covering Film and TV.
Meanwhile, followers also appear to be rallying support, as one commented: “Keep up with the interviews Shamoon. You are always doing great with amazing Hollywood stars.”
With Cobra Kai wrapping up, what direction will Shamoon’s journey take? Only time will tell…
Welcome to Actor Spotlight, a feature series examining the careers and impacts of talented performers working in film and television. The latest edition focuses on Peyton List, who stars as Tory Nichols in hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, a sequel to The Karate Kid.
Be sure to check out our previous Actor Spotlight features on stars such as Jensen Ackles, Jack Quaid and more.
At 26 years old, Peyton List has been working consistently for over a decade. She’s become very recognisable, especially to a certain generation.
For the past few years, List has been starring in Cobra Kai. A television sequel series to the 1980s Karate Kid movie franchise. List plays one of the newer characters in the “Miyagi-verse”, joining the show in season 2.
Courtesy of Netflix
List also plays the lead role in Paramount+ teen drama School Spirits.
Going back slightly, Disney Channel viewers might recognise List from her time starring on Jessie. Even further back, Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans likely remember her as “Holly Hills”.
Meanwhile, List has also taken her talents to the big screen with various movie roles.
In a rare instance, she is one of two actors named “Peyton List” currently working in Hollywood. Her counterpart (born 1986) has appeared in Mad Men and The Flash.
Usually, the SAG-AFTRA’s Union policy is for living actors to have distinct names; their particular case went unnoticed.
In an interview with Popternative,Cobra Kai co-star Mary Mouser (Sam LaRusso) discussed working with List.
“There’s a sweetness to getting to have scenes together where we weren’t just yelling at each other and fighting. There was this excitement of, ‘Oh my God, this is what we want.
“We’re friends off-camera, so we always want to be able to just hang out and talk.” (Mary Mouser, Popternative, September 2022)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)
“Holly Hills”
While List didn’t star in the first live-action Wimpy Kid film (2010), she did appear in its two sequels.
Her character, Holly Hills, plays an important role as love interest to protagonist Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon).
These movies also marked the first time List worked with future Disney Channel co-star Karan Brar.
As a fun fact: the actor playing Holly’s father isn’t an actor at all. It’s Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
Courtesy of Netflix
Jessie (2011 – 2015)
Bunk’d (2015-2018, 2021)
The Swap (2016)
Hubie Halloween (2020)
“Emma Ross” (Jessie/Bunk’d)
“Ellie O’Brien” (The Swap)
“Peggy” (Hubie Halloween)
After playing Holly Hills, List landed a starring role on Disney Channel sitcom Jessie, starring Debby Ryan.
The show’s premise saw Ryan’s character, a young woman from Texas, become the live-in nanny to a wealthy couple’s four children.
However, as one might expect from a Disney show, things did not always go smoothly.
For four years, List portrayed the character Emma Ross. Ditzy, spoiled Emma was the eldest of the quartet, creating some of Jessie’s many problems. Uniquely among the others, she was also the only biological kid.
Jessie reunited List with Wimpy Kid co-star Karan Brar. This time around, the duo played siblings – with Brar starring as “Ravi”, who had been recently adopted from India.
In addition, the cast featured Kevin Chamberlin as Bertram the butler, Skai Jackson as Zuri and the late Cameron Boyce as Luke.
After Jessie ended in 2015, the franchise continued with a new show titled Bunk’d. Emma, Ravi and Zuri headed to Camp Kikiwaka in Maine. Away from the creature comforts of the city, how would the Ross kids cope?
List, along with fellow returning actors Brar and Jackson, appeared on Bunk’d for the first three seasons. After exiting as a series regular, she later guest-starred in a season 5 episode.
In-between the two shows, the young actress led the cast of a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) titled The Swap, which premiered in 2016.
List played “Ellie O’Brien”, a sophomore who inexplicably switches bodies with another student at her school. Fellow Disney star Jacob Bertrand starred as the other student, Jack Malloy.
In another instance of foreshadowing, Bertrand would later become very important in List’s career.
More on that later…
In 2020, List joined several other Disney alums by starring in Hubie Halloween. Co-written by Adam Sandler, Netflix released the mystery/horror-comedy film.
It was dedicated to the memory of List’s late co-star Cameron Boyce, who died a year earlier.
Boyce’s Grown Ups co-star/on-screen dad Adam Sandler co-wrote the movie. Meanwhile, Karan Brar took over the role intended for Boyce.
Cobra Kai (2019 – present)
Courtesy of Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
“Tory Nichols”
In 2019, List began one of her highest-profile roles by joining the Cobra Kai cast in season 2. Her character, Tory Nichols, is a highly-skilled athlete from a poor family and tough upbringing.
It’s a far cry from Jessie‘s Emma Ross, that’s for sure.
A recurring character in seasons 2 and 3, Tory was largely used as an antagonist. In particular, she had fierce a rivalry with Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser).
Tory is not a villain in the traditional sense. For the most part, the likes of John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) manipulated her. Trust me, those are not voices you want to have in your ear…
Away from the violence, Cobra Kai has also explored Tory’s love life.
In different storylines, she’s romanced both Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) and Robby (Tanner Buchanan).
At one point, Tory, the boys and Samantha were in a “love square”, but that seems largely resolved. Presumably…
Remember Jacob Bertrand from The Swap? Well, he also has a central role in Cobra Kai, as Eli Moskowitz – though some fans might better know him as “Hawk”.
Years after meeting, List and Bertrand started dating in real-life.
Who would’ve known all the way back in 2016? Apparently not Bertrand, as he told Straw Hat Movies in July 2024:
“We met on The Swap, it was a Disney movie we did. I had a huge crush on her. She was 18 at the time, I think, and my 15-year old brain was like, ‘Well this is impossible, like this is not gonna happen, like she’s insanely attractive and I’m a little boy.” (Jacob Bertrand, Straw Hat Movies Podcast, 2024).
As for Cobra Kai, Tory and Hawk have never been romantically paired on the show.
With Tory seemingly defecting to the dark side in season 6 (part 1), what will this mean for the remaining 10 episodes?
School Spirits (2023 – present)
“Maddie Nears”
Concurrently with Cobra Kai, List also began playing the lead role on Paramount+ series School Spirits.
Her character, Maddie, is a teen girl stuck in the afterlife while investigating her own disappearance.
The eight-episode first season premiered in March and April 2023, with season 2 confirmed.
List discussed School Spirits in a May 2023 interview with Teen Vogue.
“I felt like [School Spirits] was the opposite of most Y.A. shows, where it’s like, ‘Oh, kill me. I don’t want to be here. It was [about Maddie] wanting to be alive so badly and realizing the value of her life when she was gone, and the value of her friendships and what she could have fixed.” (Peyton List, Teen Vogue, 2023)
Courtesy of Ed Araquel/Paramount +
Supporting/minor roles
Various
Before her starring roles, however, a younger List played minor characters in various projects.
Her film appearances included Spider-Man 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Remember Me.
During an interview with the Livin’ Large w/ Mark Dohnerpodcast, List revealed how her small Spider-Man 2 part was ultimately cut.
“My part got cut, so… Yeah, it was a double whammy. ‘They didn’t want you, you got cut from your first film, welcome to Hollywood, kid!’ But, it was good for me. It was good for me at six… It humbled me. That’s why I have super low self-esteem… No, I’m kidding.” (Peyton List, Livin’ Large w/Mark Dohner, 2019).
Meanwhile, List also appeared in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, 27 Dresses, Something Borrowed and The Trouble with Cal, as younger versions of main characters.
Early TV parts included episodes of Gossip Girl, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and All My Children.
Cobra Kai Season 6 (part 1)is streaming on Netflix.
Cobra Kai guest stars have been a major part of the show since it began.
Fans of The Karate Kid, naturally, tuned in at first to see Daniel, Johnny, Kreese and other “legacy characters” decades later.
Viewers have since become invested in Miguel, Sam, Robby, Hawk, Tory and the rest across six seasons.
That being said, what about the characters – and cast members who play them – who’ve been around for a long time, but were never considered “main cast”?
Let’s take a look at some examples.
Griffin Santopietro
Image courtesy of Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
Portrays: Anthony LaRusso
Griffin Santopietro debuted as Anthony back in season one – although he’s had quite a glow-up since then.
Throughout the show’s six seasons, the young actor has taken Anthony on a satisfying character arc. Starting off as a spoiled, potty-mouthed kid with no interest in karate, he is later humbled into becoming a much nicer person.
Following in the footsteps of his father and sister, Anthony later becomes a student of Miyagi-Do Karate.
With only part 1 of season 6 having aired (at time of writing), who knows what the remaining episodes have in the store for the youngest LaRusso?
In an interview with ScreenRant, Santopietro discussed his bond with on-screen father Ralph Macchio.
The younger actor revealed: “Just getting to work with [Ralph] for the last five years has been—mostly from an acting standpoint; I can’t speak too much to the karate yet.
“But from the professional standpoint, he’s been really helpful in teaching me things; I’m just getting to watch him and learn. He’s like my TV dad, and I feel like I can come to him with any problem.
Owen Morgan
Image courtesy of Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
Portrays: Bert
Owen Morgan is also one of the longest-standing Cobra Kai guest stars. He made his debut appearance as Bert mid-way though the first season and was introduced as the youngest Cobra Kai member.
Like many characters, Bert has switched dojos throughout the series but is a solid recurring character and martial artist.
Previously, Owen spoke to Courageous Nerd about his experience as a cast member on the beloved show.
He said: “I’d say the first 2 seasons were definitely just me trying to get comfortable in the role and in the show. Around Season 3, I had the opportunity to start digging into the character a little more. Figuring out exactly who he really was, what his motivations were. Lately, I’ve been having a lot more opportunities for that which I’ve absolutely loved.
“Getting used to him wasn’t that difficult. I’d say we have similar traits. Over time, I was able to give him these minor characteristics that made us split apart.”
Aedin Mincks was one of several new Cobra Kai guest stars to join the show in season two. He took on the role of Mitch, a WWE fan who joined Cobra Kai with his buddy Chris.
Fans might have been left divided regarding Mitch after season four… but he remains a solid recurring character.
Before this role, Aedin starred in ANT Farm for Disney Channel, as well as hit 2012 comedy Ted.
Speaking to Courageous Nerd, the actor discussed how he came to be part of Cobra Kai,
Mincks said: “I feel like every kid did karate when they were little. Did a couple of belts or whatever. It was more of a lucky coincidence that I was doing kickboxing at the time I got the audition.
“I booked it and then we went there.
“When I came back, I got my own punching bag and speed bag, so I could do it all the time in my garage. After [his] first season, I also took a couple of private Jujutsu classes so I could get the flow and moves down.”
Nathaniel “Nate” Oh joined the cast in season two, playing a character also named Nate.
Originally a member of Cobra Kai, Nate later instead joined Miyagi-Do and further down the line, became close friends with fellow recurring guest star Bert.
Much like his co-star Owen Morgan (Bert), Oh had significantly more martial arts experience than his character and, indeed, most castmates.
He previously told Courageous Nerd: “I didn’t do Karate specifically but I did a Korean martial art called Tae-Kwon-Do. It’s pretty similar to Karate, I guess. I’ve been doing that for a long time. I can’t remember when I started, but it’s been a really long time. I’m a black belt 2nd degree right now.
Oh added “It’s really fun to learn Karate with them. It’s like the same thing, kind of, but they call it something different. The way we do Karate on the show is more like dancing. You’re not actually hitting the other person. It’s all choreographed and we have an excellent stunt team who plans out all the fights.”
Khalil Everage joined Cobra Kai in the second season, debuting as Chris alongside Aedin Mincks as Mitch.
Chris was notably among the first Cobra Kai dojo members to defect to Miyagi-Do. In turn, he became a close friend of Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo), whom he’d formerly helped Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) bully.
In an interview with CinemaBlend(promoting his movie Shooting Stars), Everage discussed his experience on the beloved Netflix series.
He said: “I think my work ethic, I have a great work ethic. Like, you know, I’m not a guy that ever gives up being competitive. So just like [on] Cobra Kai, we all are trying to get better.
“All of my cast members from Cobra Kai, we’re very passionate about making sure that this s**t look raw.”
Oona O’Brien
Image courtesy of Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix
Portrays: Devon
Oona O’Brien is a recent addition to Cobra Kai, playing the role of Devon Lee.
Having first appeared in season four, Devon has evolved considerably as a character. At time of writing, the character is among just six from Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang competing in the prestigious Sekai Taikai tournament in Barcelona.
Both actress and character are now firmly established in the cast – so, who knows what could happen next?
Devon has been part of four dojos: Cobra Kai, Eagle Fang, Miyagi Do and, briefly, Topanga Karate.
Since joining the cast, O’Brien’s co-stars praised her ability at picking up karate, despite limited experience.
In an interview withSeventeen Magazine, Xolo Maridueña (who plays Miguel Diaz) said: “Oona is really, really good.”
Maridueña added: “She said she took one class. It was like an online class or something like that.”
Actor Spotlight are features which examine the careers and impacts of talented performers working in film and television.The latest looks at Jacob Bertrandof Cobra Kai fame.
Be sure to check out our previous Actor Spotlight features on stars such as Jensen Ackles, Jack Quaid and more.
To Cobra Kai fans, actor Jacob Bertrand is best known for playing “Hawk” on the hit martial arts series.
Bertrand became a series regular on The Karate Kid spin-off in season two, having recurred in the first season.
After moving to Netflix, Cobra Kai became the streaming platform’s most-watched series.
At one point, Bertrand – a familiar face from children’s programming – was playing one of the show’s nastiest antagonists.
His character’s despicable actions included breaking longtime friend Demetri’s (Gianni DeCenzo) arm.
Of all the cast members, Bertrand’s had some of the show’s meatiest storylines. Viewers initially “met” Eli Moskowitz in season one. A shy, nerdy kid who was insecure due to his cleft lip.
However, the actor got to show a completely different side to his character once Eli took up karate. Eli became the ferocious and intimidating Hawk – complete with a colourful mohawk to match.
“I just love playing the villain, man. I will say, there’s a layer of complexity there”, Bertrand dished to ComplexCanada in a 2022 interview.
As fans saw, Eli initially took up karate to defend himself. However, he later became the very thing he’d despised.
The actor added: “It’s fun having different layers to a character in general and having to figure out the exact reasons why someone would break their best friend’s arm for example.
“How does someone get to that point? In that sense, Hawk is just a fun character to play.”
Bertrand had been a working actor long before Cobra Kai came his way.
Some of his several guest star credits include Parks and Recreation, The Middle, iCarly and Community.
Meanwhile, Bertrand is in a unique category of having been a series regular for both Disney and Nickelodeon.
His Nickelodeon stint came first, starring in the short-lived sitcom Marvin Marvin.
YouTube personality Lucas Cruikshank – aka “Fred Figglehorn” played the titular alien teenage boy. As for Bertrand, he played “Henry”, the son in the family who took Marvin in.
A year later, Bertrand had the title role on a new Disney XD sitcom, Kirby Buckets.
In this show, he played a young boy who dreams of becoming an animator.
“Getting to play Kirby for three years has been extremely fun. I’ve learned a lot from the guest stars, directors, writers, and everyone on set that has helped my career”, Bertrand told Teenplicityin 2017, ahead of the final season.
As well as TV, the star’s wider work includes films such as Duress (his debut) and 2018 sci-fi hit Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg.
In the latter, he played a minor character known as “High School Kid”. The central cast included Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance and Simon Pegg.
Bertrand launched a talk-show podcast called Lone Lobos in 2021. Joining him as co-host is Cobra Kai co-star Xolo Maridueña, who plays Miguel Diaz.
Guests have included castmates such as Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri), Mary Mouser (Samantha), Yuji Okumoto (Chozen), Griffin Santopietro (Anthony) and Peyton List (Tory), to name a few.
Discussing their bond, Maridueña described Bertrand as his “brother” in a 2022 Teen Vogue Firsts Interview.
The fellow actor added: “There is wrestling on set. Usually starts off giggly, like ‘ha-ha-ha,’ but it gets heated pretty quickly.
“My brother Jacob Scott-Thomas Bertrand, he’s the biggest wrestler when it comes to tomfoolery like that.
“I just wish that man didn’t have so much pride when it came to tournaments and wrestling… I think maybe if he just took things a little bit more zen, I would win more. But I still have yet to win against him.”
With Cobra Kai is concluding after season 6, Bertrand’s time as Hawk is almost at an end.
As alluded to earlier, his character has been on an emotional rollercoaster. From being the bullied, becoming the bully and back again.
The role has undoubtedly changed Bertrand’s life, in more ways than one might expect.
They had already known each other for several years prior to Cobra Kai. Both Disney alums, the pair starred together in 2016 TV movie The Swap.
As for Cobra Kai wrapping up, Bertrand previously shared his thoughts in an interview with PopCulture.com.
He said: “This is not going to happen, but this is what I want to happen. I really want somehow, some way, Hawk has to murder somebody.”
Going further with his idea, Bertrand added: “And then Kreese (Martin Kove), obviously, he’s Kreese, so he’s super evil.
“He’s going to get thrown back in jail. It’s inevitable. He’s also in prison. And then the spinoff series is Kreese and Hawk working together running the prison. That would be sick.”
Cobra Kai season 6, part one is streaming now on Netflix.
