- Julia Maggio was the stunt double for three seasons to Mary Mouser, who plays Samantha LaRusso.
- "I'm ecstatic that the Emmys are finally recognizing stunt performers," she told Insider.
- She believes the Oscars now have to follow the Emmys' lead and create a stunt category.
The Netflix series "Cobra Kai" has been praised for its perfect mix of nostalgia and world building to elevate the beloved "Karate Kid" franchise into a must-see television series. But baked into the show is some of the best fight stunts you will ever see on TV and it's finally led to the Emmys recognizing stunt performers.
In expanding the story of the decades-long rivalry between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Maccio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) that began in the 1984 classic movie "The Karate Kid," the "Cobra Kai" series has introduced a crop of newcomers who have sided on either Lawrence's Cobra Kai dojo or LaRusso's Miyagi-Do.
The result is three seasons of the sides having a tense hatred that has led to lots and lots of karate-fueled fights, which will continue in a fourth season coming later this year with a fifth to follow.
Faster, sharper, and higher stakes than any of the scuffles featured in the movies, the fights in "Cobra Kai" have not just gained the respect of fans.
This year's Emmys have launched for the first time ever a stunt category, outstanding stunt performance - and "Cobra Kai" is one of the shows nominated.
"I'm ecstatic that the Emmys are finally recognizing stunt performers," Julia Maggio told Insider, who for the first three seasons of the show was the stunt double of actress Mary Mouser, who plays Samantha LaRusso on the show."We've been the unsung heroes in the background for so long, a lot of times not getting recognition or even credit for all our work."
Along with "Cobra Kai," the other shows nominated in the inaugural category are "Gangs of London," "Lovecraft Country," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and "The Mandalorian" (the category was won by "The Mandalorian" in a ceremony held before Sunday's Emmys telecast).
But there are honestly no losers in this category. The fact that stunt performers are finally being recognized for TV's highest honor is a major achievement.
And Maggio, who was one of the stunt performers specifically nominated for "Cobra Kai" in the category, certainly earned the nom.
Maggio recalled how during the first three seasons of the show the stunt performers worked constantly, either shooting a stunt or prepping for the next one.
"I remember Samantha has a dream sequence and we literally had one day for me to learn the fight scene, rehearse, train, and the next day we shot it," Maggio said. "It was such a quick turnaround."
Maggio is nominated because of 'Cobra Kai's' ambitious fight scenes, including one that she had to complete in one take
And then there were the show's ambitious fight scenes shot in one continuous shot, known in the business as a "oner." The most ambitious happened in season 3 where the Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do and newcomer Eagle Fang dojos battle inside the LaRusso's house.
Maggio gave insight on how she and Mouser worked off each other to do the single take.
"In the beginning when Mary is beating up someone from Cobra Kai, I am watching the monitor," she detailed. "Then when the camera turns I had to run and hide behind the camera and then ... come in and do my part."
Maggio said to film that scene they had to repeat that process 11 times, where she often "ran like crazy across the set."
'It's just nice to finally get recognized.'
The performer, who couldn't work as Mouser's double for season 4 because she was doing stunts on another show, said being nominated for an Emmy brings recognition to all the work she's put in - as well as all the things she's missed because of work.
"I can't tell you how many sacrifices I've made due to this work," she said. "Whether it's lack of sleep or missing my family to go on set. I've missed funerals and weddings. It's just nice to finally get recognized."
And Maggio believes the Oscars now have to follow the Emmys' lead and have its own stunt category.
"There are so many stunts in movies and we dedicate so much time to not get recognized. It's disappointing," she said.
"I've heard the argument that giving us a category will lead to us dong more dangerous stunts," Maggio added. "The reality is because of CGI it's more safer because we can edit out wires and mats. So we are actually being safer."
The Emmys will be broadcast Sunday on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.