Ralph Macchio and William Zabka played iconic rivals Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively, in both The Karate Kid and its continuation, Cobra Kai. They were one of the few acting duos whose rivalry went beyond the characters they played.
Cobra Kai star Macchio admitted that back when they were filming The Karate Kid in 1983, he and Zabka did not get along. Not because of any argument the two had, but because of something that happened while they were filming the movie.
According to The Guardian, one particular incident that knocked Macchio unconscious led to the two of them not really getting along during the filming of Karate Kid. "When filming began in California, Macchio and the actor who played his tormentor, William Zabka, never fully warmed to one another. There was an accident during the filming of the Halloween fight that ended with Macchio being knocked out cold. This simmering tension fed usefully into the movie." Test audiences apparently loved the scene. "When a cut was ready to be shown to a test audience in 1984, Macchio was invited along. The audience loved it."
While the interview did not go into detail as to what specific action initiated the feud between the two of them. However, it has been previously confirmed that there was an incident where Zabka really kicked Macchio in the face during the scene in which Lawrence and his Cobra Kais were assaulting Daniel after Daniel provoked Johnny at their high school's Halloween dance. Since then, the two of them have formed a strong friendship, which has played a hand in Cobra Kai becoming the phenomenon that it is since hitting streaming services back in 2018.
One of the ongoing storylines throughout Cobra Kai has been the dynamic between LaRusso and Lawrence. While the two of them started out harboring some hard feelings towards each other from their rivalry back in the 1980s, over time, they start to develop a good bond with one another - despite their differing philosophies on fighting - which may or may not be inspired by Macchio and Lawrence going from feuding to friends over the years. By Cobra Kai season 5, it's clear the two of them are best friends, which goes to show that your worst enemies can actually be your best friends when you get to know them.
Their rapport with one another is one of Cobra Kai's biggest strengths because while the two of them realize how well they connect with one another, it's not a quick fix between the two of them. Even when they combined their dojos, they still had their differences. Their friendship took time to develop, and it's symbolic of what makes Cobra Kai as good as it is. The show definitely gets silly, but the moments feel earned. By Cobra Kai season 5, it's no longer in question if Daniel and Johnny would get along because they have put the effort in to do just that. Best of all, when they do, not only does it feel earned, but it feels rewarding too.
Cobra Kai seasons 1-5 can be watched on Netflix.
Source: The Guardian