Elisabeth Shue is popular for her iconic role as Ali Mills in the 1984 martial arts classic The Karate Kid. Her portrayal of the highly spirited and kind love interest of Daniel LaRusso resonated deeply with audiences, making her character one of the most loved in the franchise.
Decades later, her performance continues to be celebrated, so much so that she was invited to reprise her role in the hit comedy-drama series Cobra Kai, a modern-day continuation of The Karate Kid story but with a focus on Johnny Lawrence, the arch-rival in the original. In a recent discussion, the 61-year-old opened up about her state of mind when producers approached her to be a part of Cobra Kai.
Elisabeth Shue says she was worried about reprising her ‘Karate Kid’ role in ‘Cobra Kai’
While appearing on a panel discussion at the MegaCon Orlando which held on Sunday, February 9, Shue revealed that she was a bit frightened at the possibility of taking up the role of Alli Mills Schwarber, a character that she played at the early stage of her career.
The actress shared she always wondered if she would ever have the opportunity to reprise her role because her character was killed off and was not included in Karate Kid 2. However, she expressed her gratitude to the creators of Cobra Kai for reaching out to her to be a part of the TV series.
Elisabeth Shue gives a reason why she agreed to reprise her role
During the discussion, the actress revealed that she decided to reprise her iconic role after several decades because the creators of the series assured her they would address the truth behind her character’s absence in the second film of The Karate Kid franchise even though it was casually mentioned that she and Daniel broke up.
By revisiting her character, Shue believes that the series could finally offer a meaningful resolution to her character’s story, ensuring that her role in the franchise’s legacy was properly recognized.