Who plays young kreese in cobra kai

Martin Kove's The Karate Kid character John Kreese was akin to a scary monster back in the '80s, but on Cobra Kai fans are learning more about this multi-layered character and why he is the way he is. Which is exactly why the veteran actor agreed to bring back the villain in the new series, currently in its third season on Netflix.

Índice Show

Barrett Carnahan Portrayed Young Kreese
The Actor Spoke About The Role On The Podcast Popternative
More Heavy on Cobra Kai News

Kove spoke to EW exclusively about fleshing out Kreese's origin story, working with his actor son Jesse Kove this season, and whether or not there's a potential for love in Kreese's future.

"In discussing Kreese's backstory, I have to say the creators [Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg] were very perceptive," Kove tells EW about how the idea for visiting Kreese's past came up. "I spoke to mercenaries, a variety of soldiers, Army Rangers, and others to bring my ideas of exploring the elements of the character explaining why he is the way he is. Maybe we could show some vulnerability? To my surprise, they had done similar homework and they knew their stuff. This is what persuaded me to sign-on because I didn't want to play another bad guy. Their plan to take him up and down emotionally really interested me, like that scene where Billy [Zabka] and I are in the men's shelter. I like going into the depths of humanity and playing out those emotional moments."

Jesse comes into season 3 as part of the flashbacks as one of the bullies that tormented a young Kreese. At the time, Kreese was a high school student working at a diner as a server/busboy.

"It was such an honor to play in this world that I was brought up around my whole life," Jesse explains. "It felt like I was joining this legacy of The Karate Kid universe but it also felt like this dream experience. How could I ever be in this universe? And these flashbacks were a perfect vehicle for that. I hope I made my dad proud."

The elder Kove adds, "I walked on set when he was doing a scene at the diner playing with the younger Kreese [played by] Barrett [Carnahan], who was terrific and he looked just like me. As soon as I walked in, the writers are in media village and they're all watching this scene that Jesse is in because he had an earlier call time than me. They stopped me and said, 'Your son is just killing it!' I hadn't even had a chance to say good morning yet...I felt like a million bucks."

The close-knit duo have appeared in various projects together in the past, but Jesse feels nothing will compare to working on Cobra Kai. He finally came face-to-face with a character that occasionally appears in real life.

"I try to keep [Kresse] low-key but there are times he comes out," Kove shares through a mischievous smile. "It's a theatrical mystery. If you do a role long enough... I know Heath Ledger and Daniel Day-Lewis have experienced this where you maintain the psychology of certain characters, they stay with you to a degree. I'm not saying we go rob liquor stores or beat up people in alleys, but more like the integrity that Kreese has about how he lives and how there's no room for anyone else's opinion. That comes up sometimes in my life where I think someone's opinion is invalid and I have to maintain this comfort zone with myself. And sometimes, both Jesse and my girlfriend remind me that John Kreese has nothing to do with that particular issue. [Laughs]"

Looking ahead, Kove hopes there could be love ahead for Kreese, although he admits a love like the one he shared with Betsy would be nearly impossible to duplicate.

"That one love in his life, Betsy, was strong," Kove says. "We have talked about the possibility of a love interest in the future but I don't know if it will happen. I've definitely asked myself, 'What kind of woman would put up with this kind of character?' It would have to be a very strong woman. And because occasionally Kreese pops into my life as Martin Kove, you stop in those moments and you say what you're feeling. So I ask myself the same question. I have always felt that a woman can do anything a man can do because I grew up with a strong mother. I really hope they do explore that side, specifically when they go on dates. Even if it doesn't turn out to be a huge romance where maybe we bump into each other again in a future season. It would be a great thing to play as this character."

He may not have a special woman in his life this season, but Kreese did cross paths with a strong woman who wasn't afraid to show him she isn't one to be messed with. Kreese was on the receiving end of a slap provided by Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) wife, Amanda (Courtney Henggeler).

"The first couple of times she missed my face so I told her to really just go for it," he says with enthusiasm. "I was playing this scene out two different ways. In one scenario, it ends with me smiling because this woman has the strength to hit me and I like that! I wanted to show how much she impressed me with that hit, especially as the wife of my nemesis. But they went with the second option where it ends with me being stunned at this woman who is a total warrior. She really nailed me and it really fed into the moment and made everything very real."

And regarding that hard-to-ignore phone call Kreese makes to Terry Silver in the end that will certainly leave fans pining for a reunion, the actor is staying mum.

"I have received only two scripts for next season that I haven't really had a chance to read yet," he says. "So I couldn't really say what's coming in the future at this point. John Kreese may need some assistance and he's not shy about calling in reinforcements when he needs it. Is it the right time? I really don't know. Fans will have to keep watching."

type
seasons
rating
genre
network

YouTube Barrett Carnahan portrays a younger John Kreese in Cobra Kai Season 3.

The latest season of Cobra Kai, which was released on January 1, allowed fans of the Karate Kid franchise to better understand the character John Kreese (Martin Kove) through flashbacks, as reported by Men’s Health. During Season 3, the show’s audience caught glimpses of his tragic relationship with Betsy and the trauma he experienced while serving in Vietnam.

Barrett Carnahan Portrayed Young Kreese

The publication noted that Barrett Carnahan, 28, portrayed Young Kreese. Prior to being cast on Cobra Kai, the actor has worked on many television shows, including Alexa & Katie, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Grown-ish, and The Thundermans.

Men’s Health also reported that earlier this month, Carnahan took to Instagram to express his feelings regarding being apart of the acclaimed series. In the post, which was uploaded on January 3, the actor noted that since he “was four years old, [his] favorite thing to do with [his] dad was to fake fight,” which he noted came in handy during the filming of Cobra Kai. He also revealed that on his first day of filming, Martin Kove came up to him and said, “‘D*** he DOES look like me.’” The actor also mentioned that he shared a strong bond with Kove’s son Jesse, who is featured as the character David during Season 3, Episode 2.

The Actor Spoke About The Role On The Podcast Popternative

Recently, both Carnahan and Jesse Kove were interviewed together by the podcast Popternative. Carnahan disclosed that he was “nervous” about taking on the role of Kreese.

“I know how hardcore the fan base is and how much you guys love this character, and so it was overwhelming and really really nervewracking at the time, but you know, luckily, everybody, kind of, had faith in what I was doing. And luckily, I delivered something that fans really enjoyed, so I’m thrilled,” explained the actor.

Carnahan also confided that he was initially intimidated by Jesse, who stands at 6 foot 3, as he was not sure if he would like his portrayal of “the younger version of his father.” He went on to say that the two actors made a fast connection and had an enjoyable time being scene partners, particularly during their fighting sequence.

He also commented on Cobra Kai’s use of flashbacks. He noted that in general, he had a distaste for this type of narrative technique in other forms of media, stating,

“The thing about flashbacks is that whether it’s in film or whether it’s in a television show — you may have a show that’s out for a season or two the next thing you know you’re getting flashbacks to you know these characters that you’ve only known for a couple of years. So maybe it can be a lazy way of storytelling.”

He noted that with Kreese’s flashbacks, however, “you are building off of something that’s been pushing 35 years… so it’s like you have an opportunity to fill in the gaps that people have been wondering about for so long.”

In addition, Carnahan acknowledged that he was aware fans were pleased with Kreese’s backstory.

“I’m just so happy that fans loved it… I keep seeing the fans say, is like ‘I mean I don’t agree with Kreese, but I get it.’ And that’s like that was the whole point. The whole point was to give people a different perspective of Kreese, and they pulled it off incredibly,” asserted the 28-year-old.