Ralph Macchio and William Zabka Talk About the Cobra Kai Series Finale

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Ralph Macchio and William Zabka Discuss the Cobra Kai Series Finale

Release Date: December 25, 2024
Guests: Ralph Macchio and William Zabka
Host: Jimmy Fallon
Podcast: NBC Universal's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

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1. Introduction

In a nostalgic and engaging episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, host Jimmy Fallon welcomes back two iconic figures from the Karate Kid franchise, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. This special episode not only celebrates the 40th anniversary of The Karate Kid but also delves into the much-anticipated series finale of Cobra Kai, bringing together fans and cast members for an unforgettable conversation.

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2. Celebrating 40 Years of The Karate Kid

The episode kicks off with William Zabka highlighting the milestone:

"You know, I was looking up stuff on the Internet before the interview and is the 40th anniversary of the Karate Kid?" [00:12]

Ralph Macchio responds with enthusiasm:

"Yes, it is. Fortunate. 40 years. Four. Zero." [00:26]

The duo reminisces about their early days in the spotlight, reflecting on their unexpected rise to fame following the release of the original movie.

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3. Ralph Macchio’s Journey to Stardom

Ralph shares his first experience with the movie's reception:

"I went into the back of that theater... I left that theater like the local hero who won the super bowl and the Stanley Cup." [00:43]

He humorously describes his interaction with fans:

"I have a get out of a Crane kick free card. I've only done it over the years, military bases. So when the troops ask me to do it, I do it." [01:55]

This light-hearted exchange underscores Ralph's enduring connection with fans and his playful approach to his fame.

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4. The Impact of Cobra Kai and Its Finale

Shifting focus to the Cobra Kai series, William praises the show's creative team:

"The creators of the show, Josh, John and Hayden, I just call them the three heads. They're brilliant." [10:09]

Ralph elaborates on his role behind the scenes:

"I love working with the actors and bringing the vision to it. I learned from so many great filmmakers, and I get to share that." [03:34]

The discussion highlights the challenges faced during production, such as the writers' and actors' strike, leading to the season being split into three parts. Ralph shares insights into the storytelling process:

"It's storytelling, actors, directors, you know, it's the communicating, the shorthand. That seems natural to me." [04:09]

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5. Personal Anecdotes and Memorable Moments

Ralph reminisces about his consistent presence on The Tonight Show:

"From day one, sight unseen, had me on this show and I've been back for six straight seasons promoting the show with a big embrace." [05:38]

In a heartwarming gesture, Ralph presents Jimmy with a season one crew jacket:

"I've saved from season one since you've been there from day one. A season one crew jacket. Honorary." [06:03]

Jimmy gratefully accepts, emphasizing the strong bond between the host and the guests.

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6. William Zabka’s Family Ties to The Tonight Show

William shares a personal story about his parents meeting on The Tonight Show:

"My dad was working with Johnny Carson at the very beginning on the first ever Johnny Carson Tonight Show. And my mom was Dick Carson's assistant... So my mom and dad literally met in a control room." [06:39]

He reflects on his childhood visits to NBC Studios:

"I used to walk around in here when I was like 5, 6, 7, and go in all like the doctor set and all the different control rooms." [07:24]

This full-circle moment underscores the deep-rooted connections between the guests and the show.

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7. Revisiting The Karate Kid Memories

William nostalgically recalls the premiere of The Karate Kid:

"I remember it was in Westwood at a premiere. I went with all the original Cobras... watching the movie for the first time was also seeing myself for the first time ever in a movie." [07:41]

Ralph adds his perspective on the film's impact:

"It was like sitting in the back of a roller coaster... It was the gift that keeps on giving." [00:43]

Their shared memories highlight the lasting legacy of the original film and its evolution through Cobra Kai.

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8. Returning as Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai

William discusses his decision to reprise his role as Johnny Lawrence:

"They pitched it to me first before they went to Ralph... They basically dumped Johnny Lawrence and Karate Kid Cobra Kai on me. And it was crazy because I never imagined replaying this character again after this many years." [10:10]

Ralph praises William's portrayal of Johnny:

"You have good timing, you have chemistry with Ralph and everybody, and I enjoy watching you." [11:00]

This mutual respect between the actors shines through, emphasizing the strong chemistry that fans have come to love in Cobra Kai.

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9. Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, both Ralph and William express their gratitude towards their fans and reflect on their journey from The Karate Kid to Cobra Kai. Their heartfelt conversation, sprinkled with humor and personal anecdotes, offers fans a deeper understanding of the characters and the creative process behind the beloved series finale.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ralph Macchio on his premiere experience:
  "I walked in kind of like the regular guy... I left that theater like the local hero who won the super bowl and the Stanley Cup." [00:43]

• William Zabka on returning to the role:
  "I never imagined replaying this character again after this many years." [10:10]

• Ralph presenting the crew jacket to Jimmy Fallon:
  "Are you kidding me? It's yours, baby." [06:08]

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Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a poignant celebration of two decades of friendship, iconic storytelling, and the enduring legacy of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka's candid discussion offers valuable insights and heartfelt moments that underscore the show's impact on both their lives and audiences worldwide.

Transcript

[Ralph Macchio]

Foreign.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're listening to a special Fallon flashback episode of the Tonight Show. And now here he is, Jimmy Fallon.

[William Zabka]

Ralph Matthew, the one and only. You look great, bud. Welcome back to the show. You know, I was looking up stuff on the Internet before the interview and is the 40th anniversary of the Karate Kid?

[Ralph Macchio]

Yes, it is. Fortunate. 40 years. Four.

[William Zabka]

Zero. Wow. That's amazing.

[Ralph Macchio]

Yeah, it's. Yeah.

[William Zabka]

June 22, 1984. What do you remember about being. Did you at the premiere or seeing the movie?

[Ralph Macchio]

There wasn't a premiere.

[William Zabka]

Really?

[Ralph Macchio]

They didn't know? No, there wasn't a premiere in New York, but there was before it came out. About a month before at the Corset Theater on Third Avenue was a sneak preview. And I sort of went into that theater. I hadn't seen a frame of the movie. I went into the back of that theater, and it was like sitting in the back of a roller coaster. You know, I walked in kind of like the regular guy. I had the Outsiders at that point. So I was like, maybe on the cusp. And then I left that theater like the local hero who won the super bowl and the Stanley Cup. It's been that way ever since. The gift that keeps on giving.

[William Zabka]

And everyone sees you. Does everyone.

[Ralph Macchio]

What's that? What is that? What is.

[William Zabka]

People just go to you.

[Ralph Macchio]

Hey, they were doing it that night. That kind of, like, is what made us think that, well, we might be doing this for a little bit, let alone 40 years.

[William Zabka]

I mean, I remember doing it. I was going to, but I mean, what do you do when people do that to you on the street? Do you do it back to them?

[Ralph Macchio]

Well, listen, I have. I have an out. I have a. No, no, I have a get out of a Crane kick free card. Oh, that. And that is. I've only done it over the years, military bases. So when the troops ask me to do it, you do it. I'll do it. I'm not saying that. Right. So then.

[William Zabka]

Yeah, that's a good man.

[Ralph Macchio]

So.

[William Zabka]

Exactly right.

[Ralph Macchio]

So when. When anyone else asked me to do it, I say, you know. You know, have you served three terms overseas?

[William Zabka]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ralph Macchio]

So then they're like, no, my uncle was in Desert Storm. I swear. I swear.

[William Zabka]

Give me a picture that counts. Yeah, you got to do it for. Yeah, yeah.

[Ralph Macchio]

Now you're on one leg for the rest of my life.

[William Zabka]

Are you ever surprised that all the fans, the Karate Kid fans are coming.

[Ralph Macchio]

Up to you or. Yeah. It never ceases to amaze me. What's the weirdest? The weirdest. So, like, when is it off limit? I mean, is it off limits? I don't know. Everybody means well, but, you know, recently coming out of the colonoscopy, when the propofol.

[William Zabka]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Ralph Macchio]

You know, as the propofol is wearing off and you're hearing in the hallway.

[William Zabka]

Are you kidding me?

[Ralph Macchio]

Does he really know karate? I'm like, my cousin Vinny. I mean, I thought the sequel was okay, so then what does it do? It begs the question, what's going on during the procedure?

[William Zabka]

Yeah.

[Ralph Macchio]

You know, what is the conversation they've been having visuals of? It's like, okay, I like them in the Outsiders. So let's do it for Johnny.

[William Zabka]

Do it for Johnny.

[Ralph Macchio]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know.

[William Zabka]

I've been out with you, and I've seen you with fans, and you're a great sport. You're a good guy. Man, oh, man, it's so fun to go out with Ralph Macchio. We went to see an Islanders game, and, man, you want to see. The place erupted when you were on the Jumbotron. I was like, oh, my gosh, that's. Yeah, everyone is.

[Ralph Macchio]

It's that local hero thing.

[William Zabka]

No, you were great. Is. Let's talk about Cobra Kai. This is a giant deal, this streaming right now on Netflix. And also, by the way, you directed an episode.

[Ralph Macchio]

Yes.

[William Zabka]

This is. I think this is the right fit.

[Ralph Macchio]

That's you directing. That's me directing. The great Martin Cove, who plays John Kreest, arguably the Darth Vader of the Karate Kid universe. And so it's so. It's so nice. You know, I'm usually. Anytime I'm working with him, it's like, you know, not on my watch. You son of a bitch. You know, so it was so nice to collaborate with him creatively. I love working with the actors and bringing the vision to it. I learned from so many great filmmakers, and I get to share that. So it was. Episode three of the first block is the episode I did.

[William Zabka]

That should come natural to you.

[Ralph Macchio]

It does.

[William Zabka]

Was it a good fit? Did you like doing it?

[Ralph Macchio]

I love it. I want to do more of it. And it just seemed. It's storytelling, actors, directors, you know, it's. It's the communicating, the shorthand. That. That. That seems natural to me. And I was the most invigorated over the entire series of those two weeks doing that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[William Zabka]

Well, you guys do a great job, and the writers do a great job as well. You're always raising the bar, and I go, where can they go from here? And you go, we're going to go here. It gets better and better. What is happening? This season is split into like three.

[Ralph Macchio]

Yeah, it's split into three drops. So we, because of the writers and actors strike, we couldn't get all 10 episodes done in time. So we have five now that is streaming live. And then in November 15th, another five. And then the big grand finale will be sometime in 2025. I don't know the date okay yet.

[William Zabka]

So.

[Ralph Macchio]

And we're going to bring it into a big fan friendly finale.

[William Zabka]

But right now it is so fun.

[Ralph Macchio]

It's the opening. This, this block is. Everything is kind of peacetime in the Valley, you know, with all the bad guys are kind of put away and Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso are feeling pretty good. But, you know, there's still. It's a karate soap opera, you know, it's gonna blow up at any time. There is something I wanna say and I wanna bring forth tonight as we are closing out Cobra kai with the sixth and final amazing season. Day one, 2017. When the show was announced, we were like on YouTube Red. Who knew what was that? You know, we went out to some late night hosts and other talk shows and they're like, yeah, good luck with that, buddy. That sounds like a great idea.

[William Zabka]

Yeah.

[Ralph Macchio]

And one man, one show. Jimmy Fallon from day one, sight unseen, had me on this show and I've been back for six straight seasons promoting the show with a big embrace. So you're the best with that. With that said, I brought a little something I saved from season one since you've been there from day one. A season one crew jacket. Honorary.

[William Zabka]

What?

[Ralph Macchio]

For Jimmy fat. Are you kidding me?

[William Zabka]

Are you?

[Ralph Macchio]

Are you kidding me? It's yours, baby.

[William Zabka]

Do they know there's a crew?

[Ralph Macchio]

I have this.

[William Zabka]

Hey, I will wear this with pride. I will wear this with pride. Listen, I love you, buddy, and I love the show. Thank you so much. Ralph Matio, the one and only William Zabka. I'm so excited to have you here on the show. I want to get right to this great story that you were telling me. Your mom and dad met at the Tonight Show.

Yes, it's true. My mom and dad met. My dad was working with Johnny Carson at the very beginning on the first ever Johnny Carson Tonight Show. And my mom was Dick Carson's assistant, which was Johnny's brother who directed them all. So my dad actually worked with Jack Par first. Really? Yeah. And then Johnny came in. So my mom and dad literally met in a control Room somewhere up here.

Yeah.

In 19 something.

Yeah. Welcome back. I mean, it's all full circle. That's gotta feel cool.

It's awesome. And when I was like a kid, so I lived in Long island and my dad would take me on it to come to NBC Studios. So I used to walk around in here when I was like 5, 6, 7, and go in all like the doctor set and all the different control rooms. So when I was a kid, man, this was like, this is what opened me up to, you know, it's full circle that I'm here, you know, I'm so happy.

Welcome back. Thank you. Welcome back.

[Ralph Macchio]

I'm home.

[William Zabka]

Welcome home. Welcome home. This year marked the 40th anniversary of when the Karate Kid debuted in theaters. You were phenomenal. Do you remember seeing the movie for the first time?

I do. I remember it was in Westwood at a premiere. I went with all the original Cobras. We all rolled up to that together. And sitting in the, in the, in the audience and watching the movie for the first time was also seeing myself for the first time ever in a movie. Because before that I did a bunch of commercials and there I am up on the screen and, you know, I was with the movie. And when Miyagi said wax on, wax off and all the magical moments happen, I was completely sucked in. I got chills, you know, like everybody. And then at the very end, you know, when that kick comes, you know, that was a different story. So, I mean, the whole audience erupted. I even caught myself going up too. But, you know, Ralph describes the end of the Karate Kid and watching it like when he was watching his first screening as winning the super bowl and the Stanley cup and World Series all in one. And for me, it was more like getting in a head on collision in the Indy 500 and getting trajectory into.

An angry mob where people, yeah, the audience is rooting against you.

They were. In fact, when we were doing the movie, we were filming the final tournament scene.

Yeah.

And John Avilson, our director, had cameras, like eight cameras under the bleachers. And it was like live theater. So Ralph and I were fighting and then we had all the fans watching it for the first time. And in the middle of our fight, at one point, I think Johnny did something illegal and they told me to go take a knee. And the whole audience is booing, you know, and I look up and I see my mom sitting in the stands and she's like, he's really a nice guy.

[Ralph Macchio]

He's my son.

[William Zabka]

Don't be me. You know, he's an actor, guys. He's a really nice guy.

Yeah. But I was looking at my mom, and I'm like, mom, it's okay. I'm just acting. I'm just acting.

Yeah. We actually found a still of that. And in that circle there, that is your mom right there.

That's Nancy, who's watching right now.

Love you, Mom. Love you, Mom. Love you. Nancy, you gotta be proud of your kid here.

Yep.

I love that she was rooting for you.

Yeah. And my dad was there, too, but he's a. On the side. He. He missed his camera moment. He was on the side of stage.

He misses. Yeah, he missed a big moment.

Yeah. But they were my. They're my backbone my whole life, you know, from here all the way through my whole life. If it weren't for them, you know. You know, I literally wouldn't be on the Tonight Show.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. When. When you did it and now you came back for Cobra Kai. Do you say yes right away? Like, I'll come back as Johnny?

Yeah. No. Well, the guys, the. The creators of the show, Josh, John and Hayden, I just call them the three heads. The three. Three big cheeses.

They're brilliant.

They're brilliant. So they pitched it to me first before they went to Ralph. Then they said, hey, we have an idea for a TV show. Can you eat for lunch? And I said, sure. So I brought him to a Mexican restaurant in Burbank. I didn't want to go over the hill to Beverly Hills. I didn't know what it was. And so we sat down and we just ate chips, and they kept the waiter away, and they basically dumped Johnny Lawrence and Karate Kid Cobra Kai on me. And it was crazy because I never imagined replaying this character again after this many years. You know, I thought maybe you could spoof him or do a satire, something like that, but to actually play Johnny Lawrence. Anyway, they said, are you in? Are you out? I said, I'm in. And I said, now what? They said, we're gonna go get Ralph. And then my response was, good luck with that.

Yeah, you had good luck with that.

Because Ralph is super protective of Danny.

But did you know that Johnny was gonna turn out to be a pretty good dude?

Well, that was one of my things that I said was, you know, listen, I don't wanna, at the end of the show, take the proverbial crane kick to the face and be the biggest douche of all time.

But you have good timing, you have chemistry with Ralph and everybody, and I enjoy watching you.

Thank you so much.

You're very, very good at what you do. Wow.

Thank you very much.

Is. Is there any way that you could maybe teach me or teach us maybe just a, a move or a journey? William Zabka, Part two of the final season of Cobra Kai is streaming now on Net.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.