Elisabeth Shue Talks Top-Secret Role in Cobra Kai

Elisabeth Shue opened up about reprising her role as Ali Mills Schwarber from “The Karate Kid” after more than 35 years.

In an interview with EW, the actress, 57, discussed what is was like to reunite with Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso) and William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) for a two-episode story arc on Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” after starring together in the iconic 1984 film.

“It was so fun to realize that all of our chemistry was exactly the same,” Shue began. “My chemistry with Ralph was the same, the same with Billy — it was odd!”

“It was literally like a high school reunion,” she added. “It felt like no time had passed. Like none at all. We kept reminiscing and laughing, constantly reliving the first ‘Karate Kid’ every minute between takes. Non-stop reminiscing about our experience and laughing about what a great movie it turned out to be.”

“I just couldn’t get over how we hadn’t changed at all, and yet we had changed, but I would say for the better.”

Shue’s unannounced appearance, which was foreshadowed in the second season by Ali’s Facebook request to Johnny, allowed the characters to not only reunite, but also to reconcile, as Ali helped Daniel and Johnny work through their bitter rivalry.

“Well, I give all the credit to Jon [Hurwitz], Josh [Heald], and Hayden [Schlossber] for coming up with a way of bringing her back into the world in an impactful way, which meant a lot,” Shue said of the show’s producers. “[Daniel and Johnny’s] wonderful, juvenile relationship that we as viewers love so much, I was at the center of that rivalry, and they were able to keep that going for two seasons, which is just incredible. The joy in coming back was because it was impactful, and they did still care so much for her. I’m so glad that that role was left for her to play. But that was really [the writers’] doing.”

Shue went on to explain how she got involved with the series in the first place.

“It all started when I was working on ‘The Boys.’ I was working with this wonderful director, Dan Trachtenberg, who directed the pilot for ‘The Boys,'” she said. “To be honest, I really hadn’t thought about being on ‘Cobra Kai.’ When I showed up on the set [of ‘The Boys’] for the first day, Dan came right over and said, ‘You’re doing ‘Cobra Kai,’, right?’ I was like, ‘What? I don’t know. Do you think that’s a good idea?’ He goes, ‘Is that a good idea? You have to be on ‘Cobra Kai.” I said, ‘Why, why do you care so much?’ He said, ‘You have no idea how important ‘The Karate Kid’ is in my life.'”

“It was just very sweet, and it made me think, ‘Oh, I haven’t really investigated this,'” she continued. “Then I sat down with the three producers and writers who created it, Jon, Josh, and Hayden, and they were so lovely and similar to Dan —  super ‘Karate Kid’ fans. They really wanted to wait and have Ali come back this season, primarily I guess because it’s a reunion season.”

“I said, ‘I’ll do whatever you need.'”

The latest season of “Cobra Kai” is streaming on Netflix now.