July 23, 2024 • 28 mins
This week, Tommy is joined by the brilliantly talented actress Mary Mouser who is best known for her starring role in the smash-hit series Cobra Kai. Part 1 of the sixth and final season is out now! Cobra Kai is a martial arts comedy/drama sequel to the original Karate Kid film trilogy that delivers plenty of action. Mary plays Samantha LaRusso, daughter to karate champion Daniel LaRusso, reprised by the iconic Ralph Macchio. The series has surpassed over 1.7 billion minutes of streaming from their first 50 episodes, and it is constantly #1 on the Netflix charts. Today Mary opens up about what its been like processing the end of a series that means so much to her, why Cobra Kai has been her dream job, what the journey from day one of filming to her final day of filming has been like, what she hopes her character’s legacy will be, the ways she has grown through playing Samantha LaRusso, what’s to come for her character later in Season 6, if she is satisfied with how the entire series wraps up, what a spin-off in the Miyagi universe might look like, why being around the OG cast never lost its magic, her favorite scenes with Miguel throughout the series, and a surprising new passion of hers.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Part one of the final season
of Cobra Kai is out.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I know, I know, we are not quite ready to
say goodbye, but today is a joyous day because to celebrate,
I have one of the most beloved stars on my show,
the one, the only, the brilliant Mary Mauser. Mary, of course,
plays Samantha LaRusso, daughter to Daniel LaRusso aka the iconic
Ralph Maccio. If you perhaps haven't seen the series yet,
(00:33):
it's a martial arts comedy drama sequel to the original
Karate Kid films, and it is so damn good. It
has surpassed one point seven billion minutes and counting of
streaming from their fifty episodes, and it's constantly number one
on the Netflix charts. Basically, yeah, the show is magical.
It is the sixth and final season, which is bittersweet,
(00:55):
but man, how excited are we that new episodes are here.
We cover all things Cobra Kai today and dive deep
into Mary's journey on the show. And don't worry, there
are no spoilers, but we may just get a little
tease of what's to come later in the season to
tide us all over. So let's see if today we
can get married to say something that she has never
said before. Mary, it is so good to see you.
(01:23):
How are you, my friend?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Great to see you too. I'm I'm good. Yeah, it
takes me a second to like think how I'm doing,
but overall great. I just you know, it's a dig
reactive wating to a different kind of busy, you know,
getting into the first drop of the show coming out
and everything. It's very exciting times.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah, yeah, it's super exciting and jumping right on that.
Part one of the series finale of Cobra Kai is
out now. A lot of people are super excited for it,
but super sad to see the show go away. So
first of all, how are you doing? How are you
processing the ending of something so very important? Has it
sunk in yet?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Oh? I think we all like the beauty of knowing
that it was our last season going into the season.
Oh man, I'm gonna get all emotional. Okay, let me
see if I can get through this. What was that?
I think we all kind of like knew it was
our senior year, and so everybody treated it that way.
You know, everybody took the extra time, and there were
nights where I think we were all just like disted,
but we would still go get dinner together just because
(02:24):
it was like, you know, this is the last time
we're all going to be together, is a big group
like this, And you know, so even on the nights
when we were on our whatever it is of filming
some insane stunt scene, we still were all like giddy
with each other because it was this like magic of
knowing like we've made something great and now we get
to just live in knowing that we were a part
(02:44):
of something so special and we get to enjoy every
last second of it. So I think the it set
in a little bit more every day, and by the
end everybody will openly say that I was the person
who bluffered the most.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I see you lighting up right now as you you
talk about it. I imagine this very much was a
dream job for you.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Why so, I mean, I think truly it comes down
to the people. You know. I think there's been a
lot of really cool projects that have been really grateful
to be a part of, and this is one of them.
But the thing that set this apart was feeling like
every minute of the experience was rich with just contact
with people. I mean, from the incredible fans we have
(03:26):
that watch the show and the end product that we
get to interact with afterwards, back to the very first
casting moments. Every part of that process has been just
completely full with really meaningful interactions and experiences and stories.
And I mean the people I think are what's made
it such a difference. I mean, on top of that,
it's also like the coolest job in that we get to,
(03:50):
you know, do karate and hang out with our closest
friends and call it work, which is insane. But really,
I think, I think the people are what sets this
one apart. For all of us.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I can imagine, and you sound like me. I would
be the one balling like crazy. I am going to
Italian I'm very emotional. So did you have to pull
yourself together a few times throughout filming the last season?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Oh? God, yeah, I like I jokingly like I jokingly
but not jokingly, would like comment on every last Every
time they would be like, oh my god, guys, this
is the last scene that the six of us are
in at the same time. This is the last time
you're gonna throw a punch at me. This is the
last time I'm gonna throw a kick at you, Like,
this is the last time this happens in this room,
(04:30):
you know, And this is the last time it happens
next to this punching bag. Like every like last was
very meaningful to me, which I enjoyed because it was
for me. Let me, really, I like kept picturing myself
like Jim and Pam in the office, like at their wedding,
like taking the mental pictures, and that's what I kind
of like did throughout the process for myself. So yeah,
(04:51):
there were moments where I definitely had to rain it in. Specifically,
there was one scene that they purposefully scheduled for us
to film it the tail end, like it was it
doesn't take place at the end of this sequence of episodes,
but they scheduled it so we'd film it at the
very end, and so it really was a last for
(05:11):
a lot of people, and we had to speak about
it kind of in the scene. And in that moment,
all of us are looking at each other, and half
of us are supposed to be getting that it's meaningful,
and half of us are not supposed to be feeling
like the emotions. So everybody's like the people who are
allowed to cry are just bawling. The people who are
not allowed to cry or trying really hard to keep
(05:33):
it in. So it's like it definitely comes through on screen,
which again, is kind of cool because I think that
I'm hoping people will see all the love when they
get to see to play out.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That's super cool, But it's also kind of cruel to
do that to y'all. Yeah, we know what we're going
to get if we keep this to the end.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, it was, but I feel like it was a treat,
Like it felt like more of a treat for us
because it was at the end of filming a sequence
of really intensive episodes, and so it was kind of
like we had to be head into this thing, and
it was like getting to take this one slice of
a moment and separate it from everything else and know
that the hard part kind of was done and we
got to just like luxuriate in having this moment with
(06:12):
each other. It was really meaningful.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Oh that sounds so nice. So how do you kind
of grieve something that has been so important to you
for so many years. I'm always fascinated when I talk
to artists and they're so close to a role and
a project for so many years and then suddenly they
wake up and it's like, oh my god, we're not
going back. Like have you grieved that? Is it a
process for you?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
For sure? A process. It's a process I've been in
for you know, I because there's always in this industry
such an unknown you know, even on the most successful, incredible,
perfect project, something could come out of nowhere and you know,
pull the rug out from undereathew and it doesn't get
to go again. So you know, I think there's always
that kind of like waiting for the other shoot to
(06:55):
drop aspect of acting in general. But with having you know,
so many years now of positive experiences as being a
part of this project, there is like a certain level
of relief and comfortability that starts to set in. And
so then getting to that moment of like okay here
it is like, you know, I think we all knew
that at some point we'd be, you know, kind of
(07:18):
seeing the end of this story arc and this piece.
But you know, I've heard from many people, you know,
especially Ralph who has you know, he's like, don't worry
a kid, it never leaves you, you know, I've been
the Karate Kid all my life, so you know, there's
an aspect to it, just you know, parts of it
will never go away. I'll still have the friendships with
(07:38):
people that I work with. I'll still have Ralph, who
I've like forcibly adopted myself into his family. His kids
are awesome. So I just like I've just inserted myself
and been like, Okay, I'm part of the Maccios now.
But you know, I'll definitely have these these relationships going forward,
and I think that helps with the process. And then
also the fans, I mean truly getting to meet people
out and about all the time that are tell me what,
(08:01):
you know, the show means to them, what different characters
mean to them, you know. And then especially the intergenerational
aspect of people coming forward and saying, yell, oh, I
watched the Karate Kid when I was a kid, and
now I've shown my kid Cobra Kai and this is
something we bond over. Knowing that you know, it's it's
been in the zegeist for that long and getting to
be a part of something that spectacular, I just I
(08:21):
feel so grateful and I think that definitely takes the
edge off as well.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, and I'm sure it's so cool to think back
to what it started as and I imagine that no
one in the cast could have imagined how big that
this was going to become, especially with how it began, right, Like,
does that journey from start to finish kind of blow
your mind for sure?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That's like I have always said, like I knew this
was something really special going into it, especially you know,
getting to meet the og Karate Kid cast and then
getting to be in scenes with them. That alone, I
was like, Okay, I could just die happy now. That
was great. That was cool, what a good life. But
you know, definitely there's the aspect of looking at it
(09:04):
through the rear view mirror is just like it's kind
of magical to think that we all, I feel like,
are as close as we are because we felt like
the little engine that could in a way, you know,
it was like this really cool, really special thing and
that we all felt we were a part of. And
then to feel other people see it and to find
us even when it wasn't easy to find us and
(09:24):
to follow us through kind of a complicated journey, is
a lot of things changed, and that like intense day
one fan base is never left, which is incredible, and
then begetting to grow that into an even bigger, wider
fan base as it became more accessible to watch the
show is just it's mind boggling. I mean, like I
got to watch back my original audition tapes recently and
(09:48):
looking at them, I was sitting there going like, holy crap,
I can't believe that girl like walked into that room
being like, man, I really hope I get this job,
and like didn't realize what an impact it would have
on my life. I mean, it's been by the time
the last episodes come out, Like I'll say, right now,
I think we're at like year seven of actually knowing
(10:08):
each other and working together, which is just crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
That is such a big accomplishment, especially in our industry.
I mean, things like that just don't happen that often.
And it's a true testament to the entire cast and
the crew and the writers and everything you all put
out because it does have such an impact and it
means so much to so many people. And I would
argue that when you revisit something that has such a
fandom like the og Karate Kid films, it could potentially
(10:31):
have been a disaster, but It wasn't like this was
just the beautiful next installment of you know, that genre
and that category of films and now TV that people
love so much. So it's so cool to see when
things like this just explode in the biggest ways possible.
(10:52):
Let's talk about your character for a minute. Samantha has
been through quite a lot throughout the course of the
entire series, But what do you hope that she is
going to be remembered for? Like, what will her legacy be?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Ooh oh, that's a really good way to put it.
I think for all the ups and downs that all
the characters have had, I think the thing that's always
felt really important to me is that the come from
I guess is the way that I think of it,
like the why behind the what stays really true to
who she is, and I think it always has and
to me, her why has always been about making the
(11:27):
largest positive impact. And I think the downside of that
that she the trap she's fallen into a few times
is not looking at the minute by minute and getting
caught up in the big picture and not seeing the
minutia of it all. But I think the thing that
I hope people take away from that and the lesson
that I've learned from Samantha in that is that you
(11:49):
can do all the right things for all the right
reasons and still not be able to please everybody, and
that's okay, and that you know, the growth comes from mistakes.
You know, you can't control everything to go exactly the
way that you want it to go, or you've never
learned anything. So I think that to me, Samantha is about,
(12:10):
you know, leading with your heart is what she's always
been really good and terrible at, but definitely when she's
been dedicated to. And I think that the lesson that
I hope people look at Samantha for is that idea
of leading with your heart and it's okay when that
messes up anyway and it falls apart, and to be
able to put the pieces back together is like where
(12:32):
the real strength is.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Well, sa it seems like you've grown a lot through
playing her, Huh, yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
It's so funny, like we all came to this, you know,
this piece of media at different ages in our lives,
at different points than our lives, and like it's just
it's just crazy. Like I really thought to myself, like,
oh you know, I was the oldest, you know, and
when I came in and so I you know, I
don't think my life will have changed that much and
looking back at it, especially like really making these moments
(13:00):
and thinking about it, No, I really have changed a lot,
and hopefully very positive ways, positive ways for myself. I know,
Like I feel like this has been just like the
most beautiful, safe and comfortable space to grow and explore
aspects of myself as an actress and as a person.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
How rewarding musta be. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I'm so freaking fortunate. It's insane. It's insane.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, fortunate, but also you know, deserved. You put in
the work and you're willing, at least from an outside perspective,
to be someone who can grow and learn and continue
evolving and not everybody's like that. And to have that
openness is I think such an important quality that we
all should strive for in this life. So, yes, you know, fortunate,
but also it seems like you work at it. You
(13:45):
have so much dialogue in this show throughout the course
of all the seasons, right, So I'm curious, is there
like a Samantha phrase or quote that has always stuck
with you that you kind of think like defines her
that you just have fun with her. Will ever kind
of be like, oh man, that's going to pop in
my head for the next twenty years, you know, that's
a good question.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I don't know if there's like a specific line of
dial we really tease the crap out of each other
this season specifically because like for all of our little
catch phrases, like everybody having their own kind of little thing.
We're like, okay, so when the scene when everybody starts arguing,
you're going to tell everyone to calm down, You're gonna say, hey, guys,
stop it. You're going to start the fight. And then like,
just because we all kind of I think have like
(14:24):
known our characters for so long now, I do feel
like Samantha is like many Daniel LaRusso in that Daniel
is always hearkening back to mister Miyagi, and I feel
like Samantha is always connecting back to her father. So
I feel like there's like that aspect to me. It's
always like, you know, basically the like how do I
(14:44):
say this in a way that sounds the joke in
my mind is the dritical mouthfay going wait till my
fault but he's about this, but like, you know what
I mean. But like that, Sam's like, I feel like
internal compass. All of my decision making comes from this
idea of like, what would dad say? I don't think
my dad would like that. I think my dad would
like that. This is what my dad would want me
(15:04):
to do.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
That's amazing. Oh my god, I love that so much.
And that impression was right on the money.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I mean, if you can't knowing I'm a bit of
a nerd for all things that I'm a nerd about,
I guess.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Hey, that's a good way to live. I love that
all right? Season six, As I said, it's out. Now,
what can you tease about your journey and your character
and your storyline without Netflix coming to find me?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yeah? I don't know. So here's the thing I personally
like in my personal life, I despise spoilers, but I
do love like a nugget. So I'm trying to think
of how I can give a little bit without giving
nothing crazy, so that people can still discover as they go.
I think definitely our character storylines reflected our own life
(15:49):
in this piece, specifically in this part of this story,
in that we knew we were in our final stretches,
you know what I mean. And so I think all
these characters are kind of both feeling the effects of
and reaping the benefits of all of the legs stretching
and work that they've done to come up to this point.
(16:10):
I think that specifically for Samantha, it's the culmination of
every hard learned lesson and every you know, kind of
every aspect of where that would lead you in life.
I think she's really struggled with the idea of not
that she hasn't wanted to, but that she has really
(16:32):
had to hone the skill of being able to look
at the world from different viewpoints rather than just her own.
And I think that that's her big life lesson throughout
the series and really comes to a head in this
moment and then gets to kind of reap the benefits
of what that looks like.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
If you know, if she can learn that lesson, ooh
good tease, that was the perfect market. Well, we can't
wait to see, we can't wait to see what unfolds.
That's pretty awesome. And are you without obviously saying what happens,
but overall, are you satisfied with how the story and
the series wraps up.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I am, I definitely am. I think people are gonna
be really excited about it. I'm I'm happy. I'm happy
with Samantha. I'm happy for Samantha. I think, you know,
it's not the way I initially actually anticipated it going
at all, but I'm really excited to hear what people
think about it. And I think every one of the
character's storylines is like that. You know, there's a couple
of them where I'm like, Okay, yeah, that's where I
hoped it was going, that's right where it's going. But
(17:25):
there's a couple that really threw me off, and I'm like,
it's perfect, you know. I think that's what our writers
and producers are so exceptional at is why I think
the series has set itself apart in so many ways,
is truly that they they know the fan base because
they are the fan base, because they were Karate Kid
fans who who loved this franchise so much, and so
(17:45):
you know, they stay so true to that, and yet
they have an exceptional ability to still surprise me without
without it being in the way that it's not exactly
how I wanted it to go.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Hmmm, that's amazing. And what I think I just heard
you say is we're really at the ending. We're gonna
get like four more seasons.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Oh, it's only you know what. I truly though, I
know I can't put Samantha away forever. I don't know
if she'll pop into my life and other characters that
I'll play, or if I got fortunate enough to be
Samantha again. But I know for sure she's always going
to be very much a big part of my life.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Well, it's how fun for a minute with that? Then
if there was a spinoff in the Miagi universe, what
would you want to see? What would you want to explore?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh? Man, there's so many aspects that I think would
be so fun to see. Just like, I don't know,
I love Chosen's character, and I would love to know
like where he goes in life or where he was
when we didn't see him. I think for Samantha, there's
hopefully a big, wide world out there. There's all these
aspects of her personality kind of gotten sprinkled throughout the series.
(18:49):
And then you know, I don't know this, Like she's
always been kind of like just a true California girl
to me, So I think that there's some Maybe there's
some like crossover world where she serves and does karate
at the same time. I don't know. We all had
a lot of fun. It was like camp fire stories
where we just sit around and be like, but what
if this happened? And oh, what if we did this instead?
What if this is where the character ended up.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Now my wheels are turning, and I.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Say, do you have any good ones?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, I really like that. I like that kind of
California living idea too, and surfing and the intertwining, you know,
all the worlds together. And that's something so cool about you,
is I remember reading I think when we talked to
years ago during COVID that prior to the show, you
weren't really into like fitness and martial arts and exercise,
and your whole approach to like that world has been changed,
(19:37):
and you now seem to enjoy a lot of that stuff, right.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Most definitely, Yeah, that's it's now like, no, it's part
of my free time. It's not just like, you know,
part of work anymore. It's it truly is a part
of my like well being, my life, my like happiest
version of myself.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So you'll keep doing martial.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Arts for sure. Yeah, I mean I still have kept
it up in the off season, and it's definitely something
I'm super passionate about. I've learned so much, and most
of what I've learned is that I have so much
more to learn, and it's so cool to take those
lessons and the fun part of it is getting to
see how accurate. I mean, of course, you know it's
(20:18):
inflated for television and whatnot, but how accurate. A lot
of those life lessons are the aspect of finding balance,
which also harkens back to like Samantha's continual checkpoint. You
know that she comes back to. I don't know if
it's necessarily a dialogue line, but it's definitely throughout her mentality.
Is the finding balance thing is crucially important to my
personal journey with martial arts, is you know, finding all
(20:42):
these different aspects of balance and peace and things like
that within And I'm a big, big believer in the
Minaki Doo way of life of you know, it's for
defense only, and you know, it's more about becoming strong
within yourself and learning what you're capable of, not necessarily
(21:03):
exercising what you're capable of, just for the purpose of it.
There's been a lot of really wonderful lessons I've learned
commercial arts. So it's definitely a part of my life
that that'll continue.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I love that that's a piece that will forever stay
with you from doing the show that again means so
much to you and so much to so many people.
You'll always carry that with you, which I think is
so awesome. And another thing I really appreciate and respect
is you've referenced the ogs quite a bit throughout the
course of this interview, and it seems like you have
such gratitude and appreciation for those ogs who came before
you and who are part of this now. So did
(21:34):
the magic ever kind of run out being around that
og cast?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
No, even now, even now, you know Ralph or Billy
will like text us text one, but they like I
get a text from Ralph, it'll just be like, oh this,
you know, the thought of you saw this, you know,
Disney reference, blah blah blah, thought of you, you know,
and send it to me and I immediately like his
name pops up how I phone and I still like
geek out every time I'm like, oh my god, Ralph
Manchio texted me like, that's so bizarre. But no, the
(22:03):
magic from day one to day Oh god, I don't
even know if I've talied up how many days. There's
been a lot of them, but it has been equal,
if not greater, because you know, we've gotten all of
these wonderful stories passed along from the process of creating
the originals, and then kind of also the longer that
we've known each other, the more we've kind of gotten
to get into the the what then, you know, the
(22:25):
years of life in between the Karate Kid and Cobra
Kai where it's you know, a lot of navigating this industry,
navigating you know, adulthood now, and just these different life
lessons that I've been fortunate enough to speak to them
about and learn from from Ralph and Ability and Eugene
now as well. Just I don't know, I'm super super grateful.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
So when I announced here as my guest, the number
one fan question I received for you was, what is
your favor scene or a moment with Miguel throughout the
course of this series, excluding obviously anything to come in
season six that we can't spoil.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Mm hmm, okay. I from day one have said that
like the golf and stuff. Date from season one is
still probably one of my all time favorite filming days.
I think that it felt like, I don't know, it
was just it was so fun. It was so we
just genuinely were like hanging out and just had a blast.
We clicked pretty instantly as friends, and so I think
(23:31):
it was it really felt like just hanging out with
your best friend all day, which was super fun, and
that day will forever live on. It is very very
meaningful to me, and so those scenes are very meaningful
for me to watch back. But I'm trying to think
of like overall favorite scenes. There is, God, there's so
many really fun ones. I think I would have to
say that one. And then there's I mean, there's a
(23:52):
lot of training moments that were really fun. Just I
have a blast with the fact that you know, karate
being a part of their really relationship is like, I
don't know, it just adds this whole layer to like
the young teen relationship stuff. But there's definitely like there's
one really awesome team that I'm excited for people to
see in season six. So I won't spoil anything, but
(24:14):
I would say that was kind of the perfect Yin
and Yang to the golf and stuff date scene, well said,
I think a lot of people will go back and
watch all of those to get there.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
They're fill in. Before you know, the show goes away
for good. So what's next for you? I know you
love princesses. I know you love haunted scary houses. Maybe
princess in a haunted house?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Yeah, who knows? Why not? I don't know. I think
this show is definitely pushed me in different directions that
I wasn't expecting, you know, early on. I think it's
opened to my mind up to being a part of
this industry in all kinds of different ways. I think
I've always felt ironically more comfortable in front of the camera,
(24:57):
which I say ironically because the second anybody whips out
like a phone camera to take a picture, I instantly
like freeze up and I can't. I don't know how
to be gay, And people are like, don't you do
this for a living? Why are you acting so weird?
But I can't. Like there's like a difference to being
on set, you know, and being out in the world.
But I think it's it's opened my mind up and
my eyes up to this whole other side of this industry.
(25:19):
I think it would be really fun to explore just
learning from all different departments and learning kind of how
all the pieces of the machine come together to make
the final product with something that's very exciting to me.
But I also have had a blast with the stunts.
I think I'll have a really hard time letting go
of that part of it. No, martial arts will obviously
(25:39):
stay in my personal life. I would love to get
to have more excuses to integrate it into my work world.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I have no doubt whatever you do, it's going to
be amazing and your star is going to continue rising
and exploding. And Mary, the name of the show as
we wrap up this conversation is called I've never said
this before. And I know you've done a lot of interviews,
You've spoken quite a bit today, We've covered a lot,
but I'm wondering, is there anything you can think of
that you have never shared or said before.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I was really picking my brain trying to think about it,
and I feel like, I, you know, inadvertently, like I'm
comfortable being very open about a lot of things. There's
aspects to my life that I just it's not that
I wouldn't share it, that I wouldn't have thought to.
And so as I was trying to think about you
know what I haven't shared, I realized that languages are
(26:25):
like super interesting to me. And I don't know if
people know that about me till they get to know me.
But I enjoy studying different languages. I mean, now, I'm
no expert in any of them, but you know, like
just the act of learning a new language is really
interesting to me. The one that I've stuck with the
longest is American Sign Language. I took it for I
guess like five years and then have continued to practice
(26:46):
since then and take different lessons and deaf culture and
things like that. So that's something I'm really passionate about
and learning. But specifically, I do have a thirty nine
day streak on DUELINGO right now for Japanese, and I
haven't said that I don't love yet, So there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Of course, you do, you overachiever. You are such an overachiever.
I am not surprised. Oh my god, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Thank you. I will I'm gonna maybe by the next
time we talk, like I'll have doubled it at least.
But yeah, I'm definitely really tssionate about languages.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Well, rock on, that's super interesting. Thank you for sharing,
and thank you for hanging out today. I always enjoy
our time together. I feel like I've watched you grow
over the years, and you know, I know it's a
bittersweet moment to be putting out this last season into
the world, but just to know how much your work
means to so many people, I hope that gives you
a lot of comfort and a lot of pride and
you take a minute to really kind of enjoy that feeling.
(27:40):
So thank you for hanging out well.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I appreciate that. Thank you, I appreciate it. Yeah, this
has been super fun and then who knows, maybe more,
maybe more to come.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Well, until we meet again, my friend, be well and congratulations.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I've Never Said This Before is hosted by Me Tommy Didario.
This POTT is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said This Before is part of the Elvis Duran
podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(28:18):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Diderio.
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Part one of the final season
of Cobra Kai is out.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I know, I know, we are not quite ready to
say goodbye, but today is a joyous day because to celebrate,
I have one of the most beloved stars on my show,
the one, the only, the brilliant Mary Mauser. Mary, of course,
plays Samantha LaRusso, daughter to Daniel LaRusso aka the iconic
Ralph Maccio. If you perhaps haven't seen the series yet,
(00:33):
it's a martial arts comedy drama sequel to the original
Karate Kid films, and it is so damn good. It
has surpassed one point seven billion minutes and counting of
streaming from their fifty episodes, and it's constantly number one
on the Netflix charts. Basically, yeah, the show is magical.
It is the sixth and final season, which is bittersweet,
(00:55):
but man, how excited are we that new episodes are here.
We cover all things Cobra Kai today and dive deep
into Mary's journey on the show. And don't worry, there
are no spoilers, but we may just get a little
tease of what's to come later in the season to
tide us all over. So let's see if today we
can get married to say something that she has never
said before. Mary, it is so good to see you.
(01:23):
How are you, my friend?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Great to see you too. I'm I'm good. Yeah, it
takes me a second to like think how I'm doing,
but overall great. I just you know, it's a dig
reactive wating to a different kind of busy, you know,
getting into the first drop of the show coming out
and everything. It's very exciting times.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah, yeah, it's super exciting and jumping right on that.
Part one of the series finale of Cobra Kai is
out now. A lot of people are super excited for it,
but super sad to see the show go away. So
first of all, how are you doing? How are you
processing the ending of something so very important? Has it
sunk in yet?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Oh? I think we all like the beauty of knowing
that it was our last season going into the season.
Oh man, I'm gonna get all emotional. Okay, let me
see if I can get through this. What was that?
I think we all kind of like knew it was
our senior year, and so everybody treated it that way.
You know, everybody took the extra time, and there were
nights where I think we were all just like disted,
but we would still go get dinner together just because
(02:24):
it was like, you know, this is the last time
we're all going to be together, is a big group
like this, And you know, so even on the nights
when we were on our whatever it is of filming
some insane stunt scene, we still were all like giddy
with each other because it was this like magic of
knowing like we've made something great and now we get
to just live in knowing that we were a part
(02:44):
of something so special and we get to enjoy every
last second of it. So I think the it set
in a little bit more every day, and by the
end everybody will openly say that I was the person
who bluffered the most.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I see you lighting up right now as you you
talk about it. I imagine this very much was a
dream job for you.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Why so, I mean, I think truly it comes down
to the people. You know. I think there's been a
lot of really cool projects that have been really grateful
to be a part of, and this is one of them.
But the thing that set this apart was feeling like
every minute of the experience was rich with just contact
with people. I mean, from the incredible fans we have
(03:26):
that watch the show and the end product that we
get to interact with afterwards, back to the very first
casting moments. Every part of that process has been just
completely full with really meaningful interactions and experiences and stories.
And I mean the people I think are what's made
it such a difference. I mean, on top of that,
it's also like the coolest job in that we get to,
(03:50):
you know, do karate and hang out with our closest
friends and call it work, which is insane. But really,
I think, I think the people are what sets this
one apart. For all of us.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I can imagine, and you sound like me. I would
be the one balling like crazy. I am going to
Italian I'm very emotional. So did you have to pull
yourself together a few times throughout filming the last season?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Oh? God, yeah, I like I jokingly like I jokingly
but not jokingly, would like comment on every last Every
time they would be like, oh my god, guys, this
is the last scene that the six of us are
in at the same time. This is the last time
you're gonna throw a punch at me. This is the
last time I'm gonna throw a kick at you, Like,
this is the last time this happens in this room,
(04:30):
you know, And this is the last time it happens
next to this punching bag. Like every like last was
very meaningful to me, which I enjoyed because it was
for me. Let me, really, I like kept picturing myself
like Jim and Pam in the office, like at their wedding,
like taking the mental pictures, and that's what I kind
of like did throughout the process for myself. So yeah,
(04:51):
there were moments where I definitely had to rain it in. Specifically,
there was one scene that they purposefully scheduled for us
to film it the tail end, like it was it
doesn't take place at the end of this sequence of episodes,
but they scheduled it so we'd film it at the
very end, and so it really was a last for
(05:11):
a lot of people, and we had to speak about
it kind of in the scene. And in that moment,
all of us are looking at each other, and half
of us are supposed to be getting that it's meaningful,
and half of us are not supposed to be feeling
like the emotions. So everybody's like the people who are
allowed to cry are just bawling. The people who are
not allowed to cry or trying really hard to keep
(05:33):
it in. So it's like it definitely comes through on screen,
which again, is kind of cool because I think that
I'm hoping people will see all the love when they
get to see to play out.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
That's super cool, But it's also kind of cruel to
do that to y'all. Yeah, we know what we're going
to get if we keep this to the end.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, it was, but I feel like it was a treat,
Like it felt like more of a treat for us
because it was at the end of filming a sequence
of really intensive episodes, and so it was kind of
like we had to be head into this thing, and
it was like getting to take this one slice of
a moment and separate it from everything else and know
that the hard part kind of was done and we
got to just like luxuriate in having this moment with
(06:12):
each other. It was really meaningful.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Oh that sounds so nice. So how do you kind
of grieve something that has been so important to you
for so many years. I'm always fascinated when I talk
to artists and they're so close to a role and
a project for so many years and then suddenly they
wake up and it's like, oh my god, we're not
going back. Like have you grieved that? Is it a
process for you?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
For sure? A process. It's a process I've been in
for you know, I because there's always in this industry
such an unknown you know, even on the most successful, incredible,
perfect project, something could come out of nowhere and you know,
pull the rug out from undereathew and it doesn't get
to go again. So you know, I think there's always
that kind of like waiting for the other shoot to
(06:55):
drop aspect of acting in general. But with having you know,
so many years now of positive experiences as being a
part of this project, there is like a certain level
of relief and comfortability that starts to set in. And
so then getting to that moment of like okay here
it is like, you know, I think we all knew
that at some point we'd be, you know, kind of
(07:18):
seeing the end of this story arc and this piece.
But you know, I've heard from many people, you know,
especially Ralph who has you know, he's like, don't worry
a kid, it never leaves you, you know, I've been
the Karate Kid all my life, so you know, there's
an aspect to it, just you know, parts of it
will never go away. I'll still have the friendships with
(07:38):
people that I work with. I'll still have Ralph, who
I've like forcibly adopted myself into his family. His kids
are awesome. So I just like I've just inserted myself
and been like, Okay, I'm part of the Maccios now.
But you know, I'll definitely have these these relationships going forward,
and I think that helps with the process. And then
also the fans, I mean truly getting to meet people
out and about all the time that are tell me what,
(08:01):
you know, the show means to them, what different characters
mean to them, you know. And then especially the intergenerational
aspect of people coming forward and saying, yell, oh, I
watched the Karate Kid when I was a kid, and
now I've shown my kid Cobra Kai and this is
something we bond over. Knowing that you know, it's it's
been in the zegeist for that long and getting to
be a part of something that spectacular, I just I
(08:21):
feel so grateful and I think that definitely takes the
edge off as well.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, and I'm sure it's so cool to think back
to what it started as and I imagine that no
one in the cast could have imagined how big that
this was going to become, especially with how it began, right, Like,
does that journey from start to finish kind of blow
your mind for sure?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That's like I have always said, like I knew this
was something really special going into it, especially you know,
getting to meet the og Karate Kid cast and then
getting to be in scenes with them. That alone, I
was like, Okay, I could just die happy now. That
was great. That was cool, what a good life. But
you know, definitely there's the aspect of looking at it
(09:04):
through the rear view mirror is just like it's kind
of magical to think that we all, I feel like,
are as close as we are because we felt like
the little engine that could in a way, you know,
it was like this really cool, really special thing and
that we all felt we were a part of. And
then to feel other people see it and to find
us even when it wasn't easy to find us and
(09:24):
to follow us through kind of a complicated journey, is
a lot of things changed, and that like intense day
one fan base is never left, which is incredible, and
then begetting to grow that into an even bigger, wider
fan base as it became more accessible to watch the
show is just it's mind boggling. I mean, like I
got to watch back my original audition tapes recently and
(09:48):
looking at them, I was sitting there going like, holy crap,
I can't believe that girl like walked into that room
being like, man, I really hope I get this job,
and like didn't realize what an impact it would have
on my life. I mean, it's been by the time
the last episodes come out, Like I'll say, right now,
I think we're at like year seven of actually knowing
(10:08):
each other and working together, which is just crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
That is such a big accomplishment, especially in our industry.
I mean, things like that just don't happen that often.
And it's a true testament to the entire cast and
the crew and the writers and everything you all put
out because it does have such an impact and it
means so much to so many people. And I would
argue that when you revisit something that has such a
fandom like the og Karate Kid films, it could potentially
(10:31):
have been a disaster, but It wasn't like this was
just the beautiful next installment of you know, that genre
and that category of films and now TV that people
love so much. So it's so cool to see when
things like this just explode in the biggest ways possible.
(10:52):
Let's talk about your character for a minute. Samantha has
been through quite a lot throughout the course of the
entire series, But what do you hope that she is
going to be remembered for? Like, what will her legacy be?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Ooh oh, that's a really good way to put it.
I think for all the ups and downs that all
the characters have had, I think the thing that's always
felt really important to me is that the come from
I guess is the way that I think of it,
like the why behind the what stays really true to
who she is, and I think it always has and
to me, her why has always been about making the
(11:27):
largest positive impact. And I think the downside of that
that she the trap she's fallen into a few times
is not looking at the minute by minute and getting
caught up in the big picture and not seeing the
minutia of it all. But I think the thing that
I hope people take away from that and the lesson
that I've learned from Samantha in that is that you
(11:49):
can do all the right things for all the right
reasons and still not be able to please everybody, and
that's okay, and that you know, the growth comes from mistakes.
You know, you can't control everything to go exactly the
way that you want it to go, or you've never
learned anything. So I think that to me, Samantha is about,
(12:10):
you know, leading with your heart is what she's always
been really good and terrible at, but definitely when she's
been dedicated to. And I think that the lesson that
I hope people look at Samantha for is that idea
of leading with your heart and it's okay when that
messes up anyway and it falls apart, and to be
able to put the pieces back together is like where
(12:32):
the real strength is.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Well, sa it seems like you've grown a lot through
playing her, Huh, yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
It's so funny, like we all came to this, you know,
this piece of media at different ages in our lives,
at different points than our lives, and like it's just
it's just crazy. Like I really thought to myself, like,
oh you know, I was the oldest, you know, and
when I came in and so I you know, I
don't think my life will have changed that much and
looking back at it, especially like really making these moments
(13:00):
and thinking about it, No, I really have changed a lot,
and hopefully very positive ways, positive ways for myself. I know,
Like I feel like this has been just like the
most beautiful, safe and comfortable space to grow and explore
aspects of myself as an actress and as a person.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
How rewarding musta be. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I'm so freaking fortunate. It's insane. It's insane.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, fortunate, but also you know, deserved. You put in
the work and you're willing, at least from an outside perspective,
to be someone who can grow and learn and continue
evolving and not everybody's like that. And to have that
openness is I think such an important quality that we
all should strive for in this life. So, yes, you know, fortunate,
but also it seems like you work at it. You
(13:45):
have so much dialogue in this show throughout the course
of all the seasons, right, So I'm curious, is there
like a Samantha phrase or quote that has always stuck
with you that you kind of think like defines her
that you just have fun with her. Will ever kind
of be like, oh man, that's going to pop in
my head for the next twenty years, you know, that's
a good question.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I don't know if there's like a specific line of
dial we really tease the crap out of each other
this season specifically because like for all of our little
catch phrases, like everybody having their own kind of little thing.
We're like, okay, so when the scene when everybody starts arguing,
you're going to tell everyone to calm down, You're gonna say, hey, guys,
stop it. You're going to start the fight. And then like,
just because we all kind of I think have like
(14:24):
known our characters for so long now, I do feel
like Samantha is like many Daniel LaRusso in that Daniel
is always hearkening back to mister Miyagi, and I feel
like Samantha is always connecting back to her father. So
I feel like there's like that aspect to me. It's
always like, you know, basically the like how do I
(14:44):
say this in a way that sounds the joke in
my mind is the dritical mouthfay going wait till my
fault but he's about this, but like, you know what
I mean. But like that, Sam's like, I feel like
internal compass. All of my decision making comes from this
idea of like, what would dad say? I don't think
my dad would like that. I think my dad would
like that. This is what my dad would want me
(15:04):
to do.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
That's amazing. Oh my god, I love that so much.
And that impression was right on the money.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I mean, if you can't knowing I'm a bit of
a nerd for all things that I'm a nerd about,
I guess.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Hey, that's a good way to live. I love that
all right? Season six, As I said, it's out. Now,
what can you tease about your journey and your character
and your storyline without Netflix coming to find me?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yeah? I don't know. So here's the thing I personally
like in my personal life, I despise spoilers, but I
do love like a nugget. So I'm trying to think
of how I can give a little bit without giving
nothing crazy, so that people can still discover as they go.
I think definitely our character storylines reflected our own life
(15:49):
in this piece, specifically in this part of this story,
in that we knew we were in our final stretches,
you know what I mean. And so I think all
these characters are kind of both feeling the effects of
and reaping the benefits of all of the legs stretching
and work that they've done to come up to this point.
(16:10):
I think that specifically for Samantha, it's the culmination of
every hard learned lesson and every you know, kind of
every aspect of where that would lead you in life.
I think she's really struggled with the idea of not
that she hasn't wanted to, but that she has really
(16:32):
had to hone the skill of being able to look
at the world from different viewpoints rather than just her own.
And I think that that's her big life lesson throughout
the series and really comes to a head in this
moment and then gets to kind of reap the benefits
of what that looks like.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
If you know, if she can learn that lesson, ooh
good tease, that was the perfect market. Well, we can't
wait to see, we can't wait to see what unfolds.
That's pretty awesome. And are you without obviously saying what happens,
but overall, are you satisfied with how the story and
the series wraps up.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I am, I definitely am. I think people are gonna
be really excited about it. I'm I'm happy. I'm happy
with Samantha. I'm happy for Samantha. I think, you know,
it's not the way I initially actually anticipated it going
at all, but I'm really excited to hear what people
think about it. And I think every one of the
character's storylines is like that. You know, there's a couple
of them where I'm like, Okay, yeah, that's where I
hoped it was going, that's right where it's going. But
(17:25):
there's a couple that really threw me off, and I'm like,
it's perfect, you know. I think that's what our writers
and producers are so exceptional at is why I think
the series has set itself apart in so many ways,
is truly that they they know the fan base because
they are the fan base, because they were Karate Kid
fans who who loved this franchise so much, and so
(17:45):
you know, they stay so true to that, and yet
they have an exceptional ability to still surprise me without
without it being in the way that it's not exactly
how I wanted it to go.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Hmmm, that's amazing. And what I think I just heard
you say is we're really at the ending. We're gonna
get like four more seasons.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Oh, it's only you know what. I truly though, I
know I can't put Samantha away forever. I don't know
if she'll pop into my life and other characters that
I'll play, or if I got fortunate enough to be
Samantha again. But I know for sure she's always going
to be very much a big part of my life.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Well, it's how fun for a minute with that? Then
if there was a spinoff in the Miagi universe, what
would you want to see? What would you want to explore?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh? Man, there's so many aspects that I think would
be so fun to see. Just like, I don't know,
I love Chosen's character, and I would love to know
like where he goes in life or where he was
when we didn't see him. I think for Samantha, there's
hopefully a big, wide world out there. There's all these
aspects of her personality kind of gotten sprinkled throughout the series.
(18:49):
And then you know, I don't know this, Like she's
always been kind of like just a true California girl
to me, So I think that there's some Maybe there's
some like crossover world where she serves and does karate
at the same time. I don't know. We all had
a lot of fun. It was like camp fire stories
where we just sit around and be like, but what
if this happened? And oh, what if we did this instead?
What if this is where the character ended up.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Now my wheels are turning, and I.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Say, do you have any good ones?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, I really like that. I like that kind of
California living idea too, and surfing and the intertwining, you know,
all the worlds together. And that's something so cool about you,
is I remember reading I think when we talked to
years ago during COVID that prior to the show, you
weren't really into like fitness and martial arts and exercise,
and your whole approach to like that world has been changed,
(19:37):
and you now seem to enjoy a lot of that stuff, right.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Most definitely, Yeah, that's it's now like, no, it's part
of my free time. It's not just like, you know,
part of work anymore. It's it truly is a part
of my like well being, my life, my like happiest
version of myself.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So you'll keep doing martial.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Arts for sure. Yeah, I mean I still have kept
it up in the off season, and it's definitely something
I'm super passionate about. I've learned so much, and most
of what I've learned is that I have so much
more to learn, and it's so cool to take those
lessons and the fun part of it is getting to
see how accurate. I mean, of course, you know it's
(20:18):
inflated for television and whatnot, but how accurate. A lot
of those life lessons are the aspect of finding balance,
which also harkens back to like Samantha's continual checkpoint. You
know that she comes back to. I don't know if
it's necessarily a dialogue line, but it's definitely throughout her mentality.
Is the finding balance thing is crucially important to my
personal journey with martial arts, is you know, finding all
(20:42):
these different aspects of balance and peace and things like
that within And I'm a big, big believer in the
Minaki Doo way of life of you know, it's for
defense only, and you know, it's more about becoming strong
within yourself and learning what you're capable of, not necessarily
(21:03):
exercising what you're capable of, just for the purpose of it.
There's been a lot of really wonderful lessons I've learned
commercial arts. So it's definitely a part of my life
that that'll continue.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I love that that's a piece that will forever stay
with you from doing the show that again means so
much to you and so much to so many people.
You'll always carry that with you, which I think is
so awesome. And another thing I really appreciate and respect
is you've referenced the ogs quite a bit throughout the
course of this interview, and it seems like you have
such gratitude and appreciation for those ogs who came before
you and who are part of this now. So did
(21:34):
the magic ever kind of run out being around that
og cast?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
No, even now, even now, you know Ralph or Billy
will like text us text one, but they like I
get a text from Ralph, it'll just be like, oh this,
you know, the thought of you saw this, you know,
Disney reference, blah blah blah, thought of you, you know,
and send it to me and I immediately like his
name pops up how I phone and I still like
geek out every time I'm like, oh my god, Ralph
Manchio texted me like, that's so bizarre. But no, the
(22:03):
magic from day one to day Oh god, I don't
even know if I've talied up how many days. There's
been a lot of them, but it has been equal,
if not greater, because you know, we've gotten all of
these wonderful stories passed along from the process of creating
the originals, and then kind of also the longer that
we've known each other, the more we've kind of gotten
to get into the the what then, you know, the
(22:25):
years of life in between the Karate Kid and Cobra
Kai where it's you know, a lot of navigating this industry,
navigating you know, adulthood now, and just these different life
lessons that I've been fortunate enough to speak to them
about and learn from from Ralph and Ability and Eugene
now as well. Just I don't know, I'm super super grateful.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
So when I announced here as my guest, the number
one fan question I received for you was, what is
your favor scene or a moment with Miguel throughout the
course of this series, excluding obviously anything to come in
season six that we can't spoil.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Mm hmm, okay. I from day one have said that
like the golf and stuff. Date from season one is
still probably one of my all time favorite filming days.
I think that it felt like, I don't know, it
was just it was so fun. It was so we
just genuinely were like hanging out and just had a blast.
We clicked pretty instantly as friends, and so I think
(23:31):
it was it really felt like just hanging out with
your best friend all day, which was super fun, and
that day will forever live on. It is very very
meaningful to me, and so those scenes are very meaningful
for me to watch back. But I'm trying to think
of like overall favorite scenes. There is, God, there's so
many really fun ones. I think I would have to
say that one. And then there's I mean, there's a
(23:52):
lot of training moments that were really fun. Just I
have a blast with the fact that you know, karate
being a part of their really relationship is like, I
don't know, it just adds this whole layer to like
the young teen relationship stuff. But there's definitely like there's
one really awesome team that I'm excited for people to
see in season six. So I won't spoil anything, but
(24:14):
I would say that was kind of the perfect Yin
and Yang to the golf and stuff date scene, well said,
I think a lot of people will go back and
watch all of those to get there.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
They're fill in. Before you know, the show goes away
for good. So what's next for you? I know you
love princesses. I know you love haunted scary houses. Maybe
princess in a haunted house?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Yeah, who knows? Why not? I don't know. I think
this show is definitely pushed me in different directions that
I wasn't expecting, you know, early on. I think it's
opened to my mind up to being a part of
this industry in all kinds of different ways. I think
I've always felt ironically more comfortable in front of the camera,
(24:57):
which I say ironically because the second anybody whips out
like a phone camera to take a picture, I instantly
like freeze up and I can't. I don't know how
to be gay, And people are like, don't you do
this for a living? Why are you acting so weird?
But I can't. Like there's like a difference to being
on set, you know, and being out in the world.
But I think it's it's opened my mind up and
my eyes up to this whole other side of this industry.
(25:19):
I think it would be really fun to explore just
learning from all different departments and learning kind of how
all the pieces of the machine come together to make
the final product with something that's very exciting to me.
But I also have had a blast with the stunts.
I think I'll have a really hard time letting go
of that part of it. No, martial arts will obviously
(25:39):
stay in my personal life. I would love to get
to have more excuses to integrate it into my work world.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I have no doubt whatever you do, it's going to
be amazing and your star is going to continue rising
and exploding. And Mary, the name of the show as
we wrap up this conversation is called I've never said
this before. And I know you've done a lot of interviews,
You've spoken quite a bit today, We've covered a lot,
but I'm wondering, is there anything you can think of
that you have never shared or said before.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I was really picking my brain trying to think about it,
and I feel like, I, you know, inadvertently, like I'm
comfortable being very open about a lot of things. There's
aspects to my life that I just it's not that
I wouldn't share it, that I wouldn't have thought to.
And so as I was trying to think about you
know what I haven't shared, I realized that languages are
(26:25):
like super interesting to me. And I don't know if
people know that about me till they get to know me.
But I enjoy studying different languages. I mean, now, I'm
no expert in any of them, but you know, like
just the act of learning a new language is really
interesting to me. The one that I've stuck with the
longest is American Sign Language. I took it for I
guess like five years and then have continued to practice
(26:46):
since then and take different lessons and deaf culture and
things like that. So that's something I'm really passionate about
and learning. But specifically, I do have a thirty nine
day streak on DUELINGO right now for Japanese, and I
haven't said that I don't love yet, So there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Of course, you do, you overachiever. You are such an overachiever.
I am not surprised. Oh my god, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Thank you. I will I'm gonna maybe by the next
time we talk, like I'll have doubled it at least.
But yeah, I'm definitely really tssionate about languages.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Well, rock on, that's super interesting. Thank you for sharing,
and thank you for hanging out today. I always enjoy
our time together. I feel like I've watched you grow
over the years, and you know, I know it's a
bittersweet moment to be putting out this last season into
the world, but just to know how much your work
means to so many people, I hope that gives you
a lot of comfort and a lot of pride and
you take a minute to really kind of enjoy that feeling.
(27:40):
So thank you for hanging out well.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I appreciate that. Thank you, I appreciate it. Yeah, this
has been super fun and then who knows, maybe more,
maybe more to come.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Well, until we meet again, my friend, be well and congratulations.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I've Never Said This Before is hosted by Me Tommy Didario.
This POTT is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said This Before is part of the Elvis Duran
podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(28:18):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Diderio.
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