SADIE STANLEY: KARATE KID LEGENDS

In this Reel Insights episode, Sean Tajipour, the Mayor of Nerdtropolis, chats with Sadie Stanley about her role in Karate Kid: Legends, the newest chapter in the beloved martial arts franchise.

Sadie opens up about working with icons like Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, the emotional screen test that sealed Ben Wang’s casting, and the wild reality of shooting in the streets of New York City. She also shares how her character Mia helps ground the story, bringing heart and hope to a new generation of fans.

Get ready for a heartfelt conversation packed with legacy, action, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the most anticipated martial arts films of the year.

Karate Kid: Legends hits theaters May 30.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Sadie, so great to see you. It's definitely been a while
since our last chat, but I'm beyond excited for the world to
finally experience Karate Kid Legends.
Thank you. So good to see you too.
Yeah, I'm so excited. Yeah, everyone's going to be
hooked on this film and just youknow, I might be the perfect
ambassador for this film. I'm not only a long time fan,
but I'm also a black belt in Taekwondo.

(00:21):
Not to brag, but just a little bit.
Amazing. That's so impressive.
I took a little bit of Taekwondofor a project that I did when I
was younger and I I really lovedit.
Yeah, I took it actually decadesago.
I'm not sure how much I actuallyremember since then what I had
to say. But you've been in the business
a while and you're a total pro. But how surreal was it to be
part of a film alongside Hollywood heavyweights Joshua

(00:43):
Jackson, Ming Na Wen, Ralph Macchio and of course, the
legendary Jackie Chan? I mean, it's so cool.
Like I felt honored to be in thesame room as them.
I mean, this is a franchise witha legacy that you just do not
say no to. So I was ecstatic to be a part
of this world and this legacy and to work alongside them.
I feel like I learned so much from them and beyond that,

(01:05):
they're just great people and wereally got along well, so I
loved it. Yeah, I love the cast, including
you. And obviously when Ben was cast,
I was thrilled. I instantly knew he was the
right choice for the role. I followed him closely.
Great project previously, but during your read together you
clearly saw something truly special in him too.
What was that moment like? Yeah, absolutely.

(01:27):
It was actually so cool that I got to there was a screen test
happening for the different guysthey were looking at, and I got
to go in and read with a few different young men that they
were looking at for The Karate Kid.
And Ben was one of them and he was my favorite from the jump.
They they were all fantastic, wonderful.
But Ben just had a certain energy and emotional presence

(01:50):
that was just so palpable. And we really connected
immediately. And we did this scene where
they're kind of just talking about Mia's mother that had
passed and Lee's brother. And it was just really
beautiful. And you could feel it in that
room. And it was just like a Gray wall
in plastic chairs. But it was, it was like we were
in the movie. So yeah, I'm so happy for Ben.

(02:11):
He's fantastic in this movie andhe was absolutely the right
choice. Yeah, great chemistry amongst
everybody. Filming in New York can be fun
and difficult. What's some of like the can you
talk about some of the fun partsof filming in New York and kind
of the crazy stuff? Because New York's a wild city.
It is, it is I Filming in any big city is definitely a
challenge when you're trying to like lock off full streets.

(02:33):
It's nearly impossible and you're trying to make sure like,
you know, random people who are trying to go about their day
aren't in the shot. And I always feel bad like we're
just taking up so much space andwe're, you know, in the middle
of people's commute to work. And I'm like, I'm sorry, we're
just trying to make a movie here.
But it's really, it's really funbecause it you know, you're
you're really in the set. It's not like fake and it's it's

(02:55):
cool. Right.
It's a character of its own, andthis movie really centers on the
idea of found family helping others feel like they belong.
How to play Mia? Shift your perspective on that
theme in your own life. Yeah, well, I think that's like
what Mia is in this film. She's really a grounding force
for everybody and sort of a a mirror for all of the other
characters. She really holds space for

(03:15):
everybody's energy, for everybody's growth.
And yeah, she sees potential in Lee before he even fully sees it
in himself. And I think that's really
special when you can do that forsomebody.
And I think that's what I love so much about playing Mia.
Yeah, great character, great film, Sadie.
Always a pleasure. We gotta do it again.
And until next time. Good to see you.
Thank you so much.