“Live or die, man?”
During a stop in Okinawa, he crosses paths with his former fight-to-the-death nemesis, Chozen.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did producers approach you to return?
Credit: NETFLIX
I just didn’t want him to be a stereotype, kind of a one-dimensional character.
Backing up a bit, what did you think when you first heard they were makingCobra Kai?
I just didn’t know which way the show was going to go.
It could go south really quickly if it’s not done right.
They’re in good hands.
Who’s not going to likeHarold & Kumar?
She was like, “This is so good!”
And I hadn’t even seen the show.
So when she told me about it, I ended up watching it and was pleasantly surprised.
WhenCobra Kaipremiered, did people start asking you if you were going to be on the show?
[Laughs] What am I going to say?
I said, “I have no idea.
It’s not up to me.
When Netflix dropped the teaser trailer forCobra Kaiseason 3, I mean, all bets were off.
“I think I saw you!”
“Was that you?”
It was crazy because it was all speculation out there.
I had to be very careful with my words.
It was a lot of finessing.
I had to be really creative.
They stuck to their guns.
I’ve gotta hand it to them, they didn’t say a word.
Had you thought about where Chozen would be today?
I had written this whole long history when I first shotKarate Kid Part II.
That’s what I like to do with all my characters.
I wrote his backstory and history.
I never forgot about Chozen, because he was a big part of my life.
How would you describe his look today?
Old habits die hard.
But he fancies his nice watch, or when he goes out, he probably would dress really nicely.
But I think it’s a little more conservative now.
I was like, “Wow, this is really flashy and not me.”
But then I look over at one of the producers and he’s dressedexactlylike that.
I was like, “Okay, I get it now.”
Did you actually shoot in Okinawa with Ralph?
Yeah, that was probably the highlight of being onCobra Kai.
The whole style of Miyagi-Do is based off ofGoju-Ryu, which was founded in Okinawa.
So being able to shoot where Goju-Ryu style karate began was really special.
What was it like working with Ralph again?
It’s like reuniting with an old friendnot that we’re old, mind you.
[Laughs] The thing I love about working with someone like Ralph is he’s a pro.
He doesn’t bitch and moan about stuff, he just does the work.
What can you tease about these fight scenes?
So working with him, being reunited with Hiro was awesome.
This is gonna take a lot of work.
I’ve gotta make this karate master believable.”
So I started working out with a buddy of mine out here in Seattle.
[Laughs] My first thought was, “Seriously???”
I remember Ralph and the producers came over and they checked on me.
I was basically a one-legged fighter at that point.
They said, “Do you better go to the ER?”
I am staying, I am finishing this last fight scene."
I was just having too much fun.
Were you able to finish the scene?
When I got back to Seattle, I said, “Okay, time for rehab.”
Do you think fans will feel that they get closure with how Daniel and Chozen’s story plays out?
Yeah, I think so.
Chozen has gone through a lot of soul-searching after losing his fight with Daniel.
And who knows, beyond that.
I’m kind of the last Miyagi-Do connection for Daniel’s character.
There’s always that possibility for them to continue.
IfCobra Kaiproducers asked you to come back, would you want to?
Oh, in a heartbeat.
