I Smell Pop Culture: The Karate Kid

I am all in again.

Oh, let's just you.

I Smell pop Culture with Eastern Allen and I Heart Radio podcast.

Hey everybody, Easton Allen. I am all in podcasts. iHeart radio, iHeart media, I heart podcasts. One of them productions, it's the I Smell pop Culture Podcast. That's right, I Smell pop Culture. I take a big whiff. It goes in through my nose, It hits these parts of my brain, it releases chemicals, and then out of my mouth comes the scent of pop culture. Sorry that the visuals gross,

It is.

It's incredible, and we're going to talk to one of the stars of The Karate Kid Part three. And the reason we're doing that, though, is that Karate Kid was mentioned in season three, episode three, application Anxiety. I'm going to set the stage for you here, okay, theater of the mind. Visualize with me if you will come on a journey. Rory and Laura I are hanging out at home and Lane needs help editing and condensing her ad

The ad can't be this long.

She's going to spend a fortune per letter per word here, so they're trying to help her edit it down. She's explaining her thoughts on Jackson Brown and says, see cool. People will know that he's more than a melow hippie, dippy folky. He actually wrote some of Nico's best songs and was in fact her lover before he bored us

My gosh, I'm so excited. Thank you so much for having me.

We have so much your resume. I was thinking about this the other day. There's some people in Hollywood that have just cool resumes. Like you look at like your list of credits and it's just like everything you've done.

Is just cool.

Oh, thank you.

Honestly, it's it's it's so great and there's so much to get into. Uh, we're gonna talk Karate Kid, We're gonna talk about it all. But first I want to I love going back to the beginning. You got started so early. What six years old was your first role?

Is that right?

Oh? You know? Actually by six I had already been working for three years. I started three if you can believe it, Wow.

Right, it's what was the what was that first role at three years old? What were you doing?

Okay, so it was a it was a national network commercial. It was a bank commercial. I can't remember the It was on my demo reel and I remember it. I could even quote the commercial for you because my mom had written it and it was a monologue. And when I went to the auto and I did this monologue, they loved it so much. They're like, oh my gosh, we're doing this. We're just going to incorporate the bank name in it. And that's how and that's how I did.

It was three years old. It's career. Yeah, it was so much fun.

Wow.

I mean so like as far back as you can remember, you've been acting basically, Yeah, Like do you remember like just being a kid and loving it? Like how did you as you started doing it more and more? How did you kind of like did it become a job pretty quickly?

I'm interested in.

That part, you know.

Honestly, this is I feel like I have such I think it's so amazing that I've been able to do this as long as I have been, and to.

Have started when I was a child.

It just felt like this was just normal life for me, like I didn't know, I didn't know any different. My mom was a model. She was of course to stay at my home mom forever and ever. And then she would started doing some print work and brought us with her, the three three of us, the younger kids, and so she would bring us all the time to her print jobs and her shoots, and they were like, kids are so cute, we should use them in this ad. And so then from that we got you know, commercial agents,

Do you remember that movie? Why am I blanking on it?

Oh? It was such a great movie, Little darlings.

Oh yes, yes, oh.

My tatum'neill and Christy McNichol. This is a long time ago.

Mm hmm, little dart. Yeah, So I'm.

Just mentioning yes because I love that movie so much. But Christy mcnicholl played my sister, my older sister, in a movie when I was five, and that was like my first kind of big, you know, opportunity was that it was a movie of the week. They used to have these things called Movies of the Week and yeah.

So which which movie was that?

It was called Smer of My German Soldier.

Oh yes, you?

I mean so you were on some like again heavy Hitter shows and Punky Brewster Night Writer twenty one jub Street has heeks. I mean like, yes, how did it feel too, like you get a role on Night Writer? How did it feel like step onto these sets of these just like iconic TV shows?

What was that like?

Well, it's interesting because we're all human, right, Like, we're all I feel like even the biggest celebrities geek out over other celebrities because we're all fans of each other. You know. So growing up I loved Night Writer.

So at twelve years.

Old, I was like, I can't believe I'm on set. I'm looking at Michael Knight. I'm like, my match, this is insane.

I wanted to like sit in the car hit all of that.

And I look back now and I and I saw a scene. I was like, that seemed like it was one million years ago. No, do you know what I mean? Like, do remember things like you watch Vacation with Chevy ch and I'm like, oh, get my kids. I'm like you guys, you've got to see this movie is so great and I'm watching, Oh what does this feel like it was one hundred years ago? That's what That's what night Rider felt like when I was watching the scene. But anyway,

Was there like a role or an experience from that early stage of your career that really stands out to you that you like think back often and fondly on, Oh.

Well, if we're going to go there, it's obviously it's teen Witch.

Yes, yes, yes.

Like it takes the cake because it was so like this unsuspecting, like massive cult.

Classic, what was what happened?

Like how did this happen? But it genuinely is.

I mean I love every project I do for you know, a myriad of reasons, but teen it is it for me, like it holds a really special place in my heart.

It's so good.

I mean, it's one of those movies that people like, everyone's rewatching it, especially around Halloween. It has such a cult falling. Like you said, I mean, like, you got to work with Darren from Bewitch to that movie that's incredible.

Like insane, It wasn't incredible, Yeah, and it was like, yeah, Magic Witches. What of course it's Darren. Of course it's Derwood.

Yes, Oh my gosh.

So uh yeah, making how did that? How did teen Witch come together? I'm curious about that, Like, how'd you get involved with that project?

Oh?

You know, it was just an audition, just an a for a film went in.

You know, I didn't really like put much pressure on myself because I had been doing this for so long, but there's always an element of like walking into a room and performing in front of strangers, that you never get fully comfortable with that. Let me just state that clearly. But it was just, yeah, it's just not just and I thought it was a really cute movie, and I just was living in the moment, you know, got the movie,

And you can tell, you.

Can tell that we loved each other and we genuinely got along so well, and I think that is part of the magic of the movie.

Yeah, I was just gonna say that.

I mean, it looks like you guys are all having a blast in that movie and it really does come through.

Yeah. Absolutely. And we were just reunited recently, basically all of us for a convention and it was self great. It was just like no time had passed. I just love them so much.

That makes me so happy that I love hearing that. You were saying, like you never get used to auditioning, and I'm as I have never auditioned, I likely will never audition I'm so curious about Like that's kind of surprised me because I was wondering, like if you you know, if you do it enough times, does it just become a thing.

A little bit. It's so it's it also seems so uncomfortable to do and so weird and like so the kind of I don't know, I'm just curious, like how like auditioning relates to like the rest of acting as a whole, because it's like so different than what you're actually doing, but it's a necessary part of it.

It is so different and it's so necessary and a lot of times. Well, now since COVID, you're doing everything remotely. You know, you're putting, you're doing self tapes, and there are advantages and disadvantages to that. But you know a lot of times people would get jobs because they were really good in the room, like they just auditioned well, you know, you had to audition well, you had to like come across like you were so unfazed and just like even though your insides are like, oh my gosh,

Oh yeah, you can memorize everything. Has there been a time where you went in to do an audition and like they threw something just out of left field issue that you were not prepared for.

Always they would do things like that, yeah, or they want you. They want to see like how well you take direction and who knows what they would throw at you. And also too you you would have the intimidation of walking and like sizing up your competition. You know, you could hear them and the other you could hear how they're doing their audition. Sometimes you'd feel like, oh, I can do better than that, or.

Or you're like, oh my gosh, they.

Are really good. You know. So it could work for against you, but good times.

It's so fascinating to me. Okay, Twin Peaks, I want to talk about Twin Peaks a bit. Atlanta budding Milford hopeful for Miss Twin Peaks. I mean such if you could be a part of like any show, I mean, incredible to have that on your on your credit list.

Did you work with David Lynch much?

Unfortunately I didn't.

I was that show at the time, was probably the biggest show on television, and I just remember, Oh, it was a time where you know, you you sat down at whatever time and you all watched it with everyone else that was watching me at eight o'clock at that same time. Everyone was talking about it and it was such an It was just groundbreaking the show. No one had ever seen anything like it. So season two, when I got the audition, I was so excited. Again here I am.

I'm just a human.

I love the show. I'm a huge fan of the show. I'm desperate to be on it. And the audition was like, oh, the description for Lana was like.

Oh, she's just so beautiful, like.

All the men are just falling at her feet and all this stuff. And I saw the show. I saw how beautiful these women were, the cast, the regulars, they were on the cover Rolling Stone. They were the most exquisitely beautiful women ever. And I was like, Okay, I have to figure out something that's gonna, you know, make me stand out a little bit. I need to do something different. And so I read the material and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna make her southern.

I couldn't believe that, and I was like, yes, oh my gosh, this show is this is a hit show.

I have Oh I have just made it. And then it was canceled. Why I can't even I can't. I don't understand it.

And the great mysteries of television history. Why that show got canceled.

It's two seasons, that's it.

Really, Yes, unbelievable, but hey I got to be a part of it, and it was you know, it was an absolute career highlight for sure.

Yeah, I mean absolutely.

And then really quick, I just really want to point out a fuzz Bucket is one of the best movies of all time. If you haven't seen fuzz Bucket, please get fuzz Bucket.

Do you get Do you have people coming up to you, like conventions and stuff saying how many fuzzy.

Absolutely not, You're probably no person. But it was on a podcast they were like, we love fuzz Bucket. I have to rewatch it.

But that was really fun though. That was a fun show.

It's a delightful show, you know, it's fantastic and Disney Movie of the Week. So Robin Lively here hanging out with us. We have so much more to get into. We're going to wax on, wax off here in a second, talk about the Karate Kid. This is the ice Smell pop culture podcast. Everybody stick around. It's the Icemell pop culture podcast on I Am all in. We're hanging out with Robin Lively, the Great Robin Lovely. We're having so much fun here.

Oh, the Karate Kid.

You are part of the Karate Kid verse Jessica Andrews and Karate Kid Part three.

Yes, and tell us, how did you how.

Did you become involved with that movie in the third installment?

How'd that happen?

Oh my gosh, this movie. You know, I keep reminding you of like how just you know, I'm just a human girl fan the entire time. You know, then it was like nowadays, you you know so many the industry has changed so much. It was so much simpler then. You would just go on auditions and it wasn't like, oh this is an this is not to have an offer oute to like this a list celebrity. I got opportunities. I was virtually a nobody. I mean I had worked my whole life, but I wasn't like this name actress.

And that was the beauty of it back then.

And I got the audition I read for the director. I had no idea that John Avildson was this icon. Thank goodness, I didn't know. I just was so naive. I did not know Rocky. I didn't. I wish I'd known these things, but I just got the audition. I remember seeing years later, like my mom had written it on a little notepad, my callback for John Avildson. Anyway, I just read for him. I remember it vividly. I

Like she is so stunning.

Oh oh well, okay, well at least you know what I get to I get to do a scene with Ralph Machio, with Daniel LaRusso. So I did the screen test and then, as you know how it worked out, I got it, which I could not believe. I don't think there was a moment in that film that I in my mind. I wasn't like having these external moments where I was like, you're doing a scene with Daniel Larisso,

You are working Nicole.

You know what I mean? The novelty never wears off, and I know I never walk onto his head and don't just have immense gratitude to still be here and still be doing what I love so much.

I love to hear that. That makes me so happy. That's That's exactly what I was like hoping for.

I mean, obviously everybody's a fan of the original Karate Kid, but I was like, I'm curious joining a movie in its third, you know, installment. Yeah, how did it feel like? There's so much of the same cast and crew were around for all three. How did it feel like coming in at the third movie? Was everyone welcoming to you?

Did it feels kind of weird?

Oh? No, everyone was wonderful. But I mean there are rumors out there about the third one. What I remember about it was I know that they were writing the script as we were filming, so a lot of changes were happening on the spot.

So that kind of lent.

Itself to a little bit of like frustration. I sensed a bit of frustration, you know, on set, and I wasn't only privy to everything that was going on, and you know, they changed it from us being love interest to just being friends because the age difference. And then at one point, this is really cool, this is really cool. We so the dance when we went to the to the club and we were dancing that was supposed to

Wow.

Yes, Ralph and I wondered this soundstage and Ralph and I go in there and we meet.

But she was so lovely, she was so.

Wonderful, and Ralph was like, you know what this just feels. I just like, I don't, this doesn't whatever he said. I won't quote him. All I know is we walked out about ten minutes later and decided it was not going to be a choreographed dance.

Interesting.

Yeah, I got to meet Paula Abdul, So that right? Cool? Yeah? Straight up?

Wow.

Uh that's I'm a defender of third movies in like in series. I'm a big fan of Back to the Future three. I love Return of the Jedi and Kardi Kit three is no different. I think it's a very special movie and I think it's an integral.

Part of the series.

Yes, I mean, like, so, Ralph Machio, he was like, had you met him at all before you started filming that movie?

Wow? I had never met He was about as big as a got you know, for me anyway.

I was so karate Kid took everyone.

I mean, that film was everything. I mean, I can speak for myself.

I was obsessed with that movie.

I was obsessed with him. Oh it was just the greatest. So to be a part of it in any form, even if it wasn't the greatest of all of them, oh my gosh, it was so it was iconic for me. It was a dream come true. Talk about a career highlight. Like I genuinely like I could not get past the fact that I was I was incredika. Even today, I showed my daughter we were watching it, and I was like, I can't believe that's my name up there with this Rolf Machio, pat and Merita Robin Lively, Are you kidding me?

So awesome, It's the best.

And Ralph was wonderful, so professional and kind and like he was terrific to work with. Everyone was so it was overall, it was a really, really incredible experience.

So when we first see you in the movie, you're on the pottery wheel, you're throwing a vase. Did you have much ceramics experience before you did that scene?

Had you ever been on a wheel before.

No, But they gave me some classes and I made some bowls. Oh yeah, I made bowls. I made cups. I wish I still had them. So I did do some classes with a private you know, private lessons, and also repelling. I learned how to repel for real.

Wow.

Okay, that was my next question because, like you know, a lot of people are if you're in a Karate Kid movie, everyone's like, oh, are you going to learn martial arts? Robin Lively got to repel down a cliff.

That was real.

That was very real. I got to do all of that, Like I genuinely learned how to do all of it. It was so cool.

That's oh my god, that's incredib wow, that's crazy.

So when you're filming, you know, I understand like some of that was on location in Marin, is that right?

Yes?

Yes, and then some of it on a stage I imagine. I mean in any way, it must have been terrifying, right to be in the harness and everything.

How did well, not so much. Now, it was a lot of it was like you know, some of a lot of it was a green screen.

I'm sure you can tell.

We were peled a little bit down a mountain. It was not It wasn't dangerous or scary at all.

No, oh my god, you making it look so easy. Even with like the green screens where they're like a couple of feet off the ground, it's still like it still freaks me out, like that would freak me out anyway, not at all.

The most notable thing that happened was the the sorry hang. The most notable thing that happened though, was the ropes. While we were in Marin County, they were dragged through poison oak poison ivy and so when yeah, so when we got back to La when we were filming on stage, Ralph was grabbing the ropes and got the worst case of poison oak I think I've ever seen ever, Like we're swollen. Oh, it was so intense, it was crazy.

Yeah, oh my god, that's again.

You think you're gonna when you're did in a movie like that, You're like, oh, I might like maybe I'll break a bone or something like that.

No, no, no, covered and poison ivy oh.

Yeah, now who would have imagined a millionaires that would happen. But yes, that was one of the big notable things we had to shut down production. It was so bad.

Whoa had to take an oatmeal bath or whatever. I do know how you fixed those things.

But exactly. Yeah.

So, and I want to talk about Cobra Kai. So exciting you came back for season five of Cobra Kai. Yes, that I mean I rewatched that episode earlier today. It's so exciting to see your return.

Yes.

Was that a fun experience for you?

Oh? It was incredible. I was just waiting for that phone to ring. I'm like, okay, guys, I'm ready, let's like come on now. So when it finally happened, I was so curious to see how they were going to integrate me into the story. And I thought it was so g Yes, I thought it was so fun.

And then I got to.

Do like this badass brawl in a bar, like I don't get roles like that. I'm not fighting in bars. It was so much fun. The cast was amazing, the crew, the producers, creators, they were all so incredible. And they I'm sure you know, they are such huge, huge fans of Karate Kid, the whole franchise. So when I was on set, it was like they were all geeking out, you know.

I was like, this is so cool.

It was one of those jobs where you're like and then I'm reunited with with Ralph and with Billy who have been friends with forever, and.

You know, so many people.

It just like I almost felt guilty, like getting paid for the job. It was so much fun.

That's great. I love it. Yeah, that seeing when you first entered the bar.

Yeah, I think you point out that there's like an arcade machine and you're like, A, that's no remake, that's the original.

I just thought that was such a cool lie.

Yes, yes, yes, it is so good.

Have you noticed, like since being on Cobra Kai people, I like to think that people are going back and rewatching Karate Kid three, like seeing you as inspired them to go back.

Have you been.

Have you heard from fans that are like, oh I'm watching it again, or like, has there been a resurg in some popularity?

No, I would imagine so they haven't said as much, but I would imagine that they have. And I love that. You know, I know that there were mixed reviews on the third one, but there is a you know, people do love it, they really do, and I just I like, I tell even when we did the Red carpet premiere for the season finale. We did this huge group photo and.

All of us there and I'm looking around.

I'm like, I keep telling you this is the same thing, but I'm like, I can't believe that I'm here with these are all the karate Kid people.

I feel like an impostor.

It's so cool.

It's so cool, and you know, and listening.

If you have not seen Karate Kid three, I watched part of it on Netflix this morning and I got the little notifications leaving Netflix soon, which.

Reakes my heart.

So well, are you serious?

Yes, all three of them, So yeah, get on get on Netflix and watch karate Kid one, two, and three while you can. Robin Lovely's hanging out with us. You're working on some really cool stuff right now that I want to talk about, and we're going to do that in just a second, but first we got play some really fun and entertaining commercials. We'll be right back, everybody, Yay.

Robin Lively's hanging out with us.

It's the Ice Smell Pop Culture podcast on I Am All in, and we're just having so much fun. I love talking to these huge stars like yourself and then finding out like you're I love how much of a fan girl you are.

That makes me feel it's so cool. It makes me so happy.

I feel like everyone is. They just there's just other levels of like coolness, Like they're going to pretend like they're not quite as geeked out as others. But I promise you there are people that they're geeking out over.

I promise.

That's the biggest secret in Hollywood. And I myself am a major fangirl for Taylor Sheridan. And it's so exciting You're in not one, but two shows in the Sheridan verse. I want to talk about Landman on Paramount Plus it tell us how you what was it like getting into the world of land Man. It's the new Billy Bob Thornton show again.

Pinch me, you know, Like, Hi, I am so excited to be a part of these shows. I cannot even begin to tell you. It is so thrilling and so cool. Oh so. The the little bit of a cool backstory is that Taylor Sheridan was a actor and was in my dad's acting class for a long time, yes years, I mean decades ago with my husband, my husband, this was before we were dating. I barely even noticed my husband at the time, but he was he was in my dad's acting class.

He was in the class. Bart Johnson was in the class too.

Wow, Yes, he sure was because he did a movie with his my husband. So Bart's first movie was Me Familia, and my dad was in that. So from that, my dad just kind of took him under his wedding.

And he like absolutely loved and brought him home to my mom.

He was over our house all the time, but I was not living at home, but he was just kind of a fixture around the family all the time, and so he ended up like helping my dad teach like the younger kids classes. Anyway, So Taylor was Taylor was in my dad's So many people were in my dad's acting class. But so Bart and Taylor know each other. I didn't ever know Taylor because I wasn't in my acting class. I would just kind of like breathing and out. But I was busy, I was working, you know, so

Like, oh, I can't believe this is insane. This is incredible. Taylor Sheridan, what.

My mind is blown? Right, And so now we're years later, we get an audition, both of us for you know, roles that have nothing to do with each other, and so we often put each other on tape. So he does my tape, I do his tape, and that's it. And then we hear, oh, you're both pinned for the show, and we're like, what this is incredible? Could you imagine? We are such huge Billy Bob Thornton fans from sling

And now it's it's it's wild, Like you know, I started seeing his movies and I was just so I love It's exactly the type of story I love to watch.

He's like rural, no wires kind of thing.

And then he started the TV shows and it's like I cannot believe the output of this man.

It's it's wild.

And he is he's doing it all himself, like he doesn't have a writing staff. I don't know how he's like, is the guy human? He's just an absolute powerhouse and he's so cool.

What a genius this.

Guy is, right, So it was really fantastic too, so great to be a part of the show. And then and then I get an audition for Lioness again, same kind of thing, do a self tape, and I didn't at all think I was going to get it, to be honest with you, so when.

I did, I was through the roof.

And also to.

Get to play such completely.

I don't know if you've had a chance to watch the shows, but my character is so vastly different Lioness to Landman.

So to say that I am.

Pinging myself is the understatement of the century. I feel so excited and honored to be on these shows. And Jill Wagner is so cool. I think I could be wrong, but when I met her on Lionis, she was like, oh, Robin, it's so cool to have you here, and I'm such a fan of your work.

And I'm like, this is insane.

I think she's a teen witch fan. I could be wrong, but I think she is. But anyway, it's incredible. Wait, I got to tell you on more thing then. Ruth McGill. He's in Lioness and he and I worked together when I was thirteen in Wildcats. If you.

Yeah, is that crazy?

It's so crazy at these things come around.

I'm telling you right, thirteen to now that was a few years ago. Well that's so fine, but it was a while ago.

Does that happen when you're like, I mean, it must happen all the time where you're working on something, and then like when your co stars or someone comes up and goes, hey, by the way, I love Teen Witch.

Oh yeah. Oh well, when I did thirty Rock, I was like, that was one of the biggest shows on television when I did that, and I was like, how am I on this show? You've got Jennifer Anniston on the week before, Oprah's on the week after and me and I literally I said, I guarantee you someone here is a Teen Witch fan. And I was right. It was Matt Hubbard. He's a producer of the show. And Tina was like, oh, Robin, she was so cool. They were amazing. She was like, oh, I had to sit.

Yeah, that is so awesome. Oh so Landman and Lioness.

You can scale them out and over Paramount Plus and check those both out and see Robin and I'm sure incredible performances in both. So we were talking before we started here. This is a Goilmore Girls podcast, and you know karate Kid was mentioned in Gomore Girls a couple of times, which is yes, which led to this fun chat we're having. What do you love about Gilmore Girls? What stands out to the show?

I love Gilmore Girls, And in fact, I rewatched several episodes of My Daughter and We're more obsessed. I loved their relationship. I think that was the first time I you know, like when shows were out at that time, and the relationship between the two was unlike any you had ever seen between a mother and daughter. And Lauren Graham, they Alexis blowed out, they were so just you just adored them. You loved their relationship. You wanted your relationship

Just the best. I wish I could have been on that show.

I loved it.

If you could live in stars Hollow, what would like? What would you like? What kind of job would you want to have? What would you want to be doing in stars Hollow?

Ash that's a good gouestion.

We would have to think about that one. I oh, well, we already have that little coffee shop. What would I want to do? M I don't have to think about it. That's you caught me off guard with that one.

Oh, that's that's what we do here on diam On podcast. We ask the hard hitting questions like that.

That is a really tough one. Well, I know if you know what I would do? Okay, know what I do. I would want to run like a beauty shop and like do the hair. Because to be honest with you, this is even You'll give you a little secret. All of the makeup artists they know all the dirt. They know all the dirt, all the dirt because the actors you sit in those chairs and for whatever reason, it's like you get a truth serum and you just want

Interesting. I love it.

We need we need a keeper of secrets like that in a in start as hollow, Robin Lightly, this has been so much fun.

Thank you so much for doing this.

Thank you.

I appreciate hearing all the memories and the stories. This is just the best. Again, karate Kid three. Make sure you check out Landman and Lioness both on Paramount Plus. Yes and anything Robin Lightly does, as I said before, is cool and good. That's yes, everything the best. So if she's in it, you know it's gonna be a good time. Thank you again, Robin.

Thank you so much.

Right, I have one question for you.

Oh yes, what does pop culture smell like?

I'm just curious.

I'm gonna stump you now.

Yeah, you know, I I announced that I smell it every week, and yet I've never been asked what that smell is, So thank.

You, Rob.

Okay, you're gonna have to think about that.

You know this, it smells like something different every week because we're always cooking something up differently.

But this is nostalgic. We know that it's a nostalgic smell.

Yeah, I have to say this week, pop culture smells like it smells like dirt and poison ivy, that's what it smells.

Okay, I love it. Let's go with that.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much, no.

Thank you so much for having me. This has been so much fun.

So fun.

Hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com