Cobra Kai’s Jacob Bertrand Recalls How Ralph Macchio and William Zabka Took Him ‘Under Their Wing’ (Exclusive)
“He makes you feel seen and gives you the time to try out different things,” Bertrand tells PEOPLE of Macchio’s direction
Over the years, Jacob Bertrand has come to look to Ralph Macchio and William Zabka as true mentors.
While chatting exclusively with PEOPLE about Cobra Kai’s sixth and final season, the actor, 24, opens up about how Zabka and Macchio had come to be his “teachers” and “sensei” while working together on the Karate Kid spinoff series.
“I’ve loved every minute I’ve had working with them and they were kind enough to take the young kid under their wing and take the time to teach me some cool stuff,” he gushsd before giving examples of how Zabka helped with “movement” and Macchio with “character development.”
“I’m just so lucky I get the opportunity to work with them,” the Disney Channel alum adds.
When it comes to wisdom his older costars have imparted on him, Bertrand says that Zabka had worked with him on the “technical aspects of fighting” while Macchio was always there to help remind the cast of “where we’re being grounded in the scene.”
“Especially when Ralph was directing, it was such a blast to be directed by him,” he recalls. “I’ve never been directed by what someone will call an actor’s director before. Our show is so rushed and we don’t have a lot of time to do anything but for whatever reason, when Ralph was directing, you don’t feel rushed.”
“He makes you feel seen and gives you the time to try out different things. Same with Billy (Zabka), Billy in a different way, but both of them they were able to speak this other language that a lot of directors aren’t,” Bertrand continues.
After debuting in 2018, Netflix announced that the karate series would be concluding with its sixth and final season. According to the series’ official logline, season 6 picks up “with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley” and the Miyagi-Do Karate dojo senseis and students deciding “if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate.”
“For Billy and I, the depth and level of our friendship and our history together has just gone beyond, just like this show has,” Macchio told previously PEOPLE reprising his 1984 The Karate Kid role with Zabka on Cobra Kai. “You’re taking the nostalgia, you’re taking the source material of what The Karate Kid universe has sort of created, and then defining it in a whole new way, never losing sight of what it really is.”
The first part of Cobra Kai’s final season is now streaming on Netflix. Part 2 debuts on Nov. 15 and the last installment will drop in 2025.
