'COBRA KAI’S' MARY MOUSER ON THE SHOW THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE GRAY AREAS OF LIFE

American actress MARY MOUSER plays Samantha LaRusso in the NETFLIX series COBRA KAI. Now on it’s third season, the American martial arts series based off the original “Karate Kid” films by Robert Mark Kamen still continues the “Karate Kid” legacy. It follows the characters of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 34 years later after the original “Karate Kid.”

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Mouser started acting young and it has been her passion ever since. She is also known for her roles as Lacey Fleming on the ABC series Body of Proof and Karen Grant on Scandal.

In this exclusive interview, Mary Mouser spoke about her experiences on filming COBRA KAI, the challenges and the highs, her acting journey so far, and the character evolution of Samantha LaRusso.

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What are you looking forward this year?

I’ve been staying safe and staying at home, so I’ll be looking forward to binging more awesome new shows! I’ve also been trying to get creative and find ways to keep myself busy, which has included reigniting my middle-school bookworm self - so I’m always on the hunt for new reads to inspire me. 

How were you able to cope from last year’s wild ride?

It’s been a challenging year, in so many ways for so many people. My biggest lesson for myself has been learning to be content with stillness. I always feel most myself and most motivated when I’m already busy and in motion. Slowing things down was scary at first, but enjoying the littlest moments has truly made the year slip by. I still don’t claim to have it all figured out, but every day I challenge myself to find new ways to embrace the chaos. 

Let’s talk about Cobra Kai. Congrats on continuous the success of the show. What’s in store for the audience on this new season?

One thing I truly love about Cobra Kai is that there is something for everyone in it. We all have our favorite characters, and our own opinions on who the good guys and bad guys are. Something I loved about this season in particular is that the writers did an awesome job at continuing to flip the script, so that you’re constantly rooting for someone new or shocked by the turns people take. 

How do you think Cobra Kai live up to the ‘Karate Kid’ legacy?

I hope that people agree with me, but I love the writing of our show so much, as well as the cast and crew. Altogether, I think we’ve created something really special and unique. Of course, the legacy of the ‘Karate Kid’ will forever live on in its infamy, but I hope people see the work we’ve put into bringing that legendary tale to life again in new ways. 

How was your character Samantha’s character evolution throughout the seasons of the show?

Sam started out in a place where she wanted to find where she belonged. She was distancing herself from her role as “daddy’s little girl” and from her childhood friend and hobbies, searching for the version of herself that she wanted to become. She finds that in Miguel, but loses it again when she sees how Cobra Kai changed him. In season two, she goes back to her roots - Karate - to find that belonging. Again, that doesn’t quite stick to the plan and things are always more complicated than we anticipate. But once karate doesn’t feel safe anymore, Samantha spends season three trying to find that safety and strength again. Her story in season three was not an easy one, but it’s something I hope people can relate to. 

What’s the best part about playing Samantha?

Samantha is strong, resilient, and determined, but she is also human, and she makes mistakes. I love that I can play out both sides of her story, and that she really dances that line between the two worlds of “good and bad” that play out in the show. I like that she is the tether between those worlds sometimes, and sometimes she’s the divide. She’s also a combination of tough and feminine, and that those are not two separate parts of her but rather two intertwining parts of her. I also LOVE getting to do stunts! 

What are the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming?

I’ve never been an athletic person, so one challenge to overcome was my own expectations for myself in terms of the physically demanding aspects of our roles. I am a perfectionist, but learning a new set of skills is definitely not a great time to be hard on yourself. It’s taught me a lot about being kinder to and forgiving myself. By the same token, the highs have been just as high. I adore this job and all of the complications, and without them I wouldn’t have the epic moments. Like when I finally landed a kick that I had been practicing for weeks that started the season 3, episode 5 fight! Also, season 3 episode 7 was a high for me. There’s a “field trip” of sorts that Daniel takes Sam on. We shot all of those scenes in one day, on Ralph Macchio’s birthday, and it was so special to learn from him and create those memories together that I hold so dear. 

How did you manage to rise above the challenges?

It’s something I’m still working on, as I think we all are. So far, working to encourage myself the way that I would talk to a close friend has definitely helped. And having an amazing team all around me has really pushed me to reach for higher heights constantly. 

What is your proudest moment ever as an actress?

That’s a tough one. I’m pretty hard on myself, and always striving to do better and challenge myself further. I have a hard time patting myself on the back. I will say, Cobra Kai has been the furthest in my career so far that I’ve been able to jump out of my comfort zone, so seeing the results of that is something I’m proud of. If I had to pick one specific moment, however, it might be a scene from my episode of Room 104. It was another large step from what I’ve played before and my stomach was in absolute knots the whole time. It was the final scene of the episode, I watched the finished product through my hands because I was so nervous to see it, but I was actually happy with the result. 

You started acting at such a young age. How was that like?

I’ve loved acting from day one. I was very lucky to find something that I love so much at a young age. At the age of five acting was really like a giant game of pretend, except all of the actors were playing along with me! As I got older, I started to discover new things to love about it, but it still has that same magical quality that it had then - it feels like a dream. 

How do you think shows like Cobra Kai could help shape and influence its global audience to create a better world?

Cobra Kai is all about the grey areas in life. I think it does such an excellent job of showcasing that we are all the hero of our own story, but that it rarely serves our lives to live as if the others are the villain. We all exist in the grey, not the black and white division, and I hope that people take away from the show that we all have to ability to be the good guy or the bad guy - it is up to us to choose our stories. 

Who and what inspires you?

I don’t know if there’s exactly one “who”. I feel most inspired by seeing people facing their fears or overcoming their obstacles. I love hearing stories about people who nearly quit on their dream and then the big break came, or people who fought forward in their endeavors despite all of the odds. I find a lot of inspiration in books, reading is a huge hobby of mine, and I love connecting to stories of characters who break free from their mental confines to take on the world. Basically, I love a good underdog story. 

What’s your dream project?

If you had asked me a few years ago, I’m not sure what I might have said beyond “one that keeps me working forever”. But since discovering the stunt work through Cobra Kai, my dream is now to continue exploring my abilities physically along with my acting. And magic. Anything with magic! 

Out of all the roles that you’ve played, is there any role/character that resonated with you the most and why?

Samantha’s arc in season three is the closest I think I’ve been to a character yet. Her internal struggles with feeling the   physical and metal tolls of her life as they battle with her desire to remain strong and in control were very real for me. Also the way that she lives through her heart rather than her head is true for me as well. It certainly creates some knots to untangle. 

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy?

Like I said, I love to read. I also enjoy training in my off-season, Muay Thai has actually become a huge hobby and passion of mine! I also enjoy writing, though I do have a hard time condensing what I write. I have one book sitting on my computer that is over 500 pages long. Someday, hopefully I’ll take on editing it down as a hobby! 

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

I’m not sure there is just one that comes to mind. There are quite a few Young Adult Fantasy worlds that I would like to live in or magical adventures I’d love to escape off to. However if I were to choose a book that encompasses me, I guess I’ll say Lost in a Book. It’s a story that would’ve taken place during Princess Belle’s captivity with the Beast, it has a lot of fantasy fun elements, but also felt grounded in moments and emotionally captivating. Not to mention Belle can be as stubborn as I am sometimes. 

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COBRA KAI SEASON 3 is now streaming on NETFLIX.