Sad news makes its way to us today as it has been revealed that Karate Kid actor Rob Garrison has died at the age of 59 of kidney and liver problems.
The West Virginia-born actor was known for his role as Tommy in the Karate Kid franchise. Appearing first in The Karate Kid (1984), he would reprise the role in Part II two years later.
He would later appear in the Karate Kid spin-off series, Cobra Kai, which follows the cast of the movies as adults. He guested in Season 2 of said show.
Garrison is best known for his line ‘Get him a body bag’ in the first movie. The line was not part of the original script and was recorded in ADR a couple of months after the scene was shot. Ad-libbing the line in the recording booth, director John Adilsen said, “That’s going to be a classic. You’ll never be forgotten because of that line.”
Alongside Karate Kid, Garrison also had roles in the television series McGyver, the Canadian sci-fi film Starship Invasion and the series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
“Rob was a great person and ambassador to ‘The Karate Kid’ legacy,”, Rick Henriques, Garrison’s rep, said in a statement to CNN, “His performance in Season 2 of ‘Cobra Kai,’ being his last, was simply amazing and he stole the episode. He will be missed by me and everyone he encountered.”
After two seasons, YouTube has officially renewed Cobra Kai for a third one, due for release in 2020. The Karate Kid spin-off series has been lauded by critics as corny nostalgia with well-written characters. It follows a renewed rivalry between Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence 34 years after the original film. Lawrence opens the Cobra Kai gym to atone for his past while Daniel struggles to balance his life following the death of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi.
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