Fans of the iconic 1984 martial
arts film “The Karate Kid” who can identify more members of the bullying Cobra
Kai karate dojo than just the primary antagonist Johnny (William Zabka) will
probably remember Tommy. Played by Rob Garrison, he is easily recognized for
his taunt about putting main character Daniel (Ralph Macchio) “in a body bag.”
When Garrison reprised his role years later for YouTube Red’s “Cobra Kai”
sequel series, franchise fans got a chuckle when his character, suffering from
a terminal illness, dies and gets put in the body bag himself. That scene
becomes more somber with news that the actor himself has passed away in real
life.
People.com had the scoop as actor Rob Garrison, Tommy of “Karate
Kid” and the body bag fame, has died last Friday, September 27, at the age of
59. This came following his month-long stay at a West Virginia hospital, and
his death has been officially attributed to liver and kidney failure. This comes
mere months following his one-episode appearance in season 2 of “Cobra Kai,”
the distant sequel to “The Karate Kid” that made Garrison’s acting in one scene
a memorable meme of the 1980s.
Immediately afterwards, words of
condolences and tributes appeared on social media for Garrison, courtesy of his
friends and costars on the franchise. His manager Rick Heriques, who officially
announced Garrison’s passing last Friday, described him as “a great person and
ambassador to the ‘Karate Kid’ legacy.” Martin Kove, who portrayed Tommy and
Johnny’s malevolent Cobra Kai Sensei Kreese, called Garrison “one of his
warriors,” adding that “Cobra Kai will not be the same” without him. Even Ralph
Macchio, who played the hero bullied by the late actor’s character, expressed
sorrow for his departure and expressed condolences to his family. Tom Hurwitz,
show-runner of “Cobra Kai,” has also done the same.
Our entire Karate Kid/Cobra Kai family is devastated by the news of OG Cobra Rob Garrison's passing. He was a truly gifted performer and an even better man. My heart goes out to Rob's family during this difficult time. #RIP pic.twitter.com/aDiXcQ5ROu— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) September 27, 2019
Aside from “Karate Kid” and its 1986
follow-up movie, Rob Garrison also starred in “Iron Eagle” and made guest roles
in several major TV series of the eighties and nineties. “Cobra Kai” season was
his last role, where his character Tommy, dying of cancer, is taken on a motorcycle
trip by his former Cobra Kai dojo buddies (like William Zabka, all reprised by
their original actors), where they figure into a bar fight and Tommy gives
Johnny advise over a campfire before succumbing to his illness in his sleep.
The ensuing scene of his being put in a body bag by first-responders echoes the
infamous line from his younger self.
“Cobra Kai” on YouTube Premium
(formerly YouTube Red) focuses on Zabka’s Johnny as he tries to turn his middle-aged
life around by restarting his childhood karate dojo, leading to friction
between him and his old rival Daniel, plus their respective students. A third
season is confirmed to premiere in 2020.
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