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Fox News
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘Cobra Kai' actress quits Hollywood after 20 years of surviving 'off the crumbs'
"Cobra Kai" actress Courtney Henggeler is making a bold exit from Hollywood. With more than two decades of acting experience in the cutthroat industry, Henggeler, 46, admitted that she's "tapping out." "After 20 plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves," she recently wrote in a Substack blog post. "I called my agents and told them I was tapping out. I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine." She pointed out her desire to "be the machine" herself, with more control over her career and life. Henggeler, who's best known for her role as Amanda LaRusso in Netflix's "Cobra Kai," starred alongside "The Karate Kid" alums Ralph Macchio, 63, and William Zabka, 59. Her character is Macchio's on-screen wife in the series. WATCH: RALPH MACCHIO ON THE 'LEGACY CAST' OF 'KARATE KID,' FINAL SEASON OF 'COBRA KAI' She was a rising star in her 20s, landing small roles on popular shows, including "House," "NCIS" and "The Big Bang Theory." Despite these appearances, Henggeler recalled only truly knowing "the hustle" of Hollywood instead of the "art or craft of acting." "We survived off the crumbs. We filled our cup with the possibility; our mugs with delusion. Our plates were empty, but a golden goose hung over our heads. Today might be the day. Today might be the day I reach the golden goose," she remarked. "20 plus years of this. I'm hungry." "We survived off the crumbs. We filled our cup with the possibility; our mugs with delusion. Our plates were empty, but a golden goose hung over our heads." While Henggeler considered herself "one of the lucky ones," as she reflected on being on billboards and being directed by George Clooney, she described those experiences as the definition of "golden goose." Henggeler worked with Clooney for his 2023 film, "The Boys in the Boat." "For years I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away," she wrote. "The voice, the constant gnawing. Not because of the acting itself. But because of the gauntlet I had to run to reach the acting. What once felt necessary, something I willingly participated, even celebrated, became stifling." WATCH: 'COBRA KAI' STAR RALPH MACCHIO SHARES KEY TO HIS SUCCESSFUL 38-YEAR MARRIAGE Henggeler's decision to step away from Hollywood comes after "Cobra Kai" wrapped its sixth and final season in February. During the "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 3 red-carpet finale premiere event, Macchio told Fox News Digital staying "out of Hollywood" is the secret to his successful marriage to his wife of 38 years. "I've always kept one foot in and one foot out," Macchio remarked. He credited his wife, Phyllis Fierro, 64, who "grounds and elevates" him and their kids. Macchio met his wife when he was 15 years old. The couple tied the knot in August 1987. Several years later, they welcomed their daughter, Julia, in 1992 and son, Daniel, in 1995.
Fox News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘Cobra Kai' star embraces ‘whole different' Western-inspired life in Nashville
"Cobra Kai" star Martin Kove is finding balance between Los Angeles and Nashville. "I wanted space. I wanted a ranch at that point. I'm really big on Westerns and all. I wanted to have horses again, and I wanted have some space," Kove told Fox News Digital. But he admitted Nashville gets "too cold" for him, even having grown up in "slush" in Brooklyn. "I don't think anybody in California really knows how terrific it is to live here because of the weather. And you transition to another place. It's not the same," he said, adding, "I need to see beach, I miss it a great deal in Nashville. The lakes don't do it for me, but it is beautiful." Kove, who lives in a "quaint" area outside the city, added, "It's very interesting. It's a whole different [way] living in New York, living in Los Angeles. And then living [in Nashville]. I have deer running around my property and lots of birds. And I sit there with a cigar watching Westerns, you know, it's cool. It's fun. And my kids come out a lot. But I come here a lot because you need the regeneration of being in a cosmopolitan area. I need to go to the theater more here." The 78-year-old also shared his sympathies with the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods. "I don't think anybody in California really knows how terrific it is to live here because of the weather. And you transition to another place. It's not the same." "I felt so much for the people who lost their houses in the fire because back in '78, I had a ranch in Agoura [Hills]. It was my first property that I ever bought. And I lost it all in the fire," Kove said. "And I had a chainsaw and a tennis racket to my name in my car. That was it. Everything was gone. And I was only in Hollywood two or three years. And all my souvenirs and everything [were gone]. But I know what it's like because I rebuilt." He continued, "You know, and a couple of my good friends lost their houses. And it's a tough game. Really tough game." Kove has forged a career in Hollywood over the past five decades, often playing a tough guy, like his antagonistic dojo owner John Kreese from "The Karate Kid," a role he reprised in the Netflix spinoff series "Cobra Kai." With the final season airing now only on Netflix, the "Cagney and Lacey" star has found that people have connected with the original film and the spinoff in different ways. WATCH: 'COBRA KAI' STAR MARTIN KOVE ON WHAT HE LIKES MOST ABOUT LIVING IN NASHVILLE "The movie became popular because one of three things happened. Kids identified with the romance that they had as a teenager that didn't work out, or they were bullied, or they were a fish out of water situation where their parents traveled a lot, and they showed up in different neighborhoods throughout their lives. That was the movie," Kove said. "The series is a list of phenomenons. I've been discussing it for weeks now, the mere fact that the writers write so well is brilliant. The mere fact that three of us kind of look the same as we did 35 years ago, you know? So that is a plus. Then the mere fact that 'Karate Kid' was such a popular movie, and here's a series that's now written so well." He continued, "And the kids watch it and then the parents say, 'Hey, would you like to see what we were weaned on, what we loved about these characters?' And it's the same characters as Billy [William Zabka], Ralph [Macchio] and I." "So, the parents take the kids, the kids watch the movie. The bottom line is, they loved the movie, and now the parents get hooked on the TV series. So you have all these little [phenomenal] things, these elements of success that people and pictures and TV series, they long for that kind of chemistry." Kove is deeply appreciative of the writing of his character, who in the film is cruel to William Zabka and Ralph Macchio's young characters, but is fleshed out more in "Cobra Kai." WATCH: MARTIN KOVE EXPLAINS WHY HE THINKS 'KARATE KID' HAS STAYED SO POPULAR "I did not want to get involved in the show unless they were going to write my character with vulnerability and an arc and emotional colors. I wasn't interested in doing the guy from 'Karate Kid,'" he explained. "And they did. They did everything I wanted." He avoided spoilers, but described the fate of his character, saying, "It's unbelievable. I saw it on the big screen, and everybody was crying. The redemption and the structure of vulnerability. It's brilliant for everyone, but primarily for this guy who is, in the early days, a monster." Despite having often played physically imposing characters, Kove said, apart from some childhood instances, he's never really been in a fight in his adult life. "Because I didn't look for a fight, I'm certainly not afraid. But. I just never found it. I always find the good points in people." But he did find himself in a tricky situation while working with Sylvester Stallone, who he starred with in "Rambo: First Blood Part II" in 1985. While filming in Acapulco, Kove recalled, "Girls would come up to Sly and ask to dance, 'Will you dance with me?' And he would say no, because obvious reasons… And Sly was damned if he danced with her and he was damned if he didn't [because] the boyfriend would come up and s[ay], 'What's the matter? You're too good to dance with my girl?' And it would turn into a fight." "But it was always the others who threw the first punch. It was always the others who were anxious," he added, noting that security helped Stallone leave that particular bar by lifting him over their heads. Stallone and Kove also shared a manager in their early days, and their first film together was 1975's "Death Race 2000," during which Stallone was working on the script for his breakthrough film, "Rocky." Kove remembered visiting him in his trailer and seeing him with the script. "I said, 'Well, what are you doing? And he said, 'I'm trying to get this boxing movie made.' And that was 1975, February. So, within a year and a half, Sly was a legend." "And it took me a little while longer," he joked, recalling that when they later worked together on the "Rambo" sequel, "We had a ball." The final episodes of "Cobra Kai" are streaming now on Netflix.
Fox News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Cobra Kai' star Ralph Macchio says staying 'out of Hollywood' is key to 38-year marriage
Ralph Macchio is sharing the secret to his successful marriage to his wife of 38 years. During the "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 3 red-carpet finale premiere event, the actor said the key is to "stay out of Hollywood." "I've always kept one foot in and one foot out," Macchio, 63, told Fox News Digital. He credited his wife, Phyllis Fierro, 64, who "grounds and elevates" him and their kids. Macchio met his wife when he was 15 years old. The couple tied the knot in August 1987. Several years later, they welcomed their daughter, Julia, in 1992 and son, Daniel, in 1995. WATCH: 'COBRA KAI' STAR RALPH MACCHIO SHARES KEY TO HIS SUCCESSFUL 38-YEAR MARRIAGE Julia has followed in her father's acting footsteps, as she appeared alongside Macchio in seasons 4 and 5 of Netflix's hit show, "Cobra Kai." Julia told Fox News Digital working with her dad has "been such a blessing." "He's the best dad. He's so supportive… I've loved every second… I admire his work ethic and how he handles himself on a set and off of a set," she said. WATCH: RALPH MACCHIO ON THE 'LEGACY CAST' OF 'KARATE KID,' FINAL SEASON OF 'COBRA KAI' Julia added, "I've learned a lot from watching him work and just seeing how he conducts himself… it's how I wanted to work as well. So, he's been a wonderful role model for me." Since 2018, Macchio has been starring on the sequel series to the movie "The Karate Kid," which follows former enemies Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as they open rival dojos. WATCH: MARIO LOPEZ SAYS 'KARATE KID' IS HIS GENERATION'S 'ROCKY' Macchio told Fox News Digital that he didn't expect "The Karate Kid" to be one of the biggest franchises of all time. "I would love to say I knew it all along. I didn't know this much. I knew that Pat Morita and myself had something special there, and William Zabka, Elisabeth Shue… the cast felt strong," he remarked. "No one could predict the level of success of that film, let alone this. This is beyond. But that's because we care so much. The writers give so much to the young cast, as well as the legacy cast, if you will." WATCH: ROBYN LIVELY ON BEING PART OF 'COBRA KAI': 'A DREAM COME TRUE' Last summer, "The Karate Kid" celebrated its 40th anniversary. The movie starred Hollywood newcomers Macchio and Zabka, as well as seasoned veterans, such as Morita and Martin Kove. Originally released in 1984, the film focuses on the new kid in town, LaRusso, as he struggles to find his footing and accidentally steps on the toes of the town's biggest bully, Lawrence. He then finds himself taken under the wing of the older and wiser Mr. Miyagi (Morita), who teaches him how to defend himself and when to use his fists. Despite showcasing his karate skills on screen for decades, Macchio admitted to Fox News Digital he's never been in a fight in real life. "I've never been. I've always negotiated myself out," the actor laughed. "I've had a push-shove match, a punch here or there, but as far as… a schoolyard fight or a street fight, I figure myself out of those. So far, now that I put that out there, I might be in trouble." "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 3 is available to stream on Netflix.
