After first appearing in Season 4, Julia Macchio is back as the daughter of the titular Karate Kid in Cobra Kai Season 6.
Macchio joins the hit high-kicking Netflix comedy, which recently debuted its sixth and final season on the platform.
The series is ready to go out with a bang, wrapping up its thrilling karate-based plot and including exciting twists like the teaming up of two former longtime rivals.
Get To Know Julia Macchio in Cobra Kai
Julia Was Born Into the Entertainment Industry
Julia comes from a showbiz family, having been born into the entertainment industry.
The 32-year-old (born May 20, 1992) is the daughter of Karate Kid actor and fellow Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio (aka Daniel LaRusso). In the series, Julia plays the daughter of her real-life father's character, Vanessa, bringing their relationship to the screen in a bit of intensely meta storytelling.
However, the Cobra Kai actress's connections to the entertainment industry do not stop there. Her brother, Daniel (seemingly named after Macchio's character in the Karate Kid franchise), also works in Tinseltown.
Daniel is a business intelligence and analytics manager who has worked with major brands like the National Hockey League and Live Nation.
Julia Has Had a Lifelong Passion for Disney
Julia Macchio is a self-proclaimed Disney super-fan, something that dates back to her childhood.
"I would act out Disney movies for my family," Macchio told Kompanion, saying that her love of performing goes back to these Disney classics:
"Basically, I would act out Disney movies for my family or anyone who was anyone who would watch. So, I (have) had that in me since forever."
She said that she is a "singer, actor, and dancer" and has "always loved doing all three:"
"I don't know if people know this about me, but I'm a singer, actor, and dancer. I've always loved doing all three."
And despite coming from an acting family with her father, Macchio seemingly came upon the career herself, crediting, in part, the House of House for her current career path.
In a conversation with Cobra Kai Kid on YouTube, the Vanessa LaRusso actress posited that "when I was little...I loved to watch movies," and Disney played a big part in that:
"Honestly, the easy answer is no. I think I would have found it no matter what, because when I was little—like we are talking two or three years old—I loved to watch movies. Movie were my escapism, that was what I wanted to do in my free time. I would always watch Disney movies, and I would act out all of the parts. I think that was just in my blood from a very very very young age."
"When you are a toddler, you just follow your instincts," Macchio continued, and that drew her toward performing:
"When you are a toddler, you just follow your instincts and what you love to do, and that has just been what I loved to do. Ever since a very very very young age."
It was Disney that lit that spark for her, but when she got a bit older, Macchio realized what her father did, and that was when "it became a conscious thing" in pursuing acting as a vocation:
"Once I understood that he did it as a career when I was a little bit older, then I was like, 'Oh okay, this is clearly what I love to do. I would like to pursue this as well.' And that is when it became a conscious thing."
She reiterated this in a December 2024 Instagram post, remarking in a caption of a photo of her at Walt Disney World that "Disney has always held a very special place in my heart:"
"The most magical moments… Disney has always held a very special place in my heart and has encouraged the little dreamer in me that magic is real. Thank you so much to everyone at Walt Disney World for your kindness and for making everything so spectacular! I am continuously inspired by all that you do in order to make dreams come true."
Julia Is a Successful Theater Actress
While fans may know Julia Macchio as a TV star, appearing in a hit like Netflix's Cobra Kai, she has had a successful career as a theater actress.
She can be seen in other TV series like Gravesend and City on a Hill but may be better known to some for her prolific work on the stage.
Some of her biggest theater roles include credits as a member of the International Tour of Flashdance: The Musical, Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical (in which she starred alongside Dexter actor Michael C. Hall), and A Room of My Own.
She has even won awards for her work in the theater, winning Broadway World Best Actress in a Musical in 2019 for The Gateway (via Guild Hall).
Julia Could Be a Professional Singer
Julia Macchio could have become a professional singer if she wanted to.
The Cobra Kai actress loves acting, singing, and dancing and has proven to be a talented vocalist. She has shown off her pipes multiple times, including in some musical stage plays she has participated in.
But it does not stop at show tunes. Macchio posted many videos of her betting it out.
This includes singing for audiences of a few dozen at a bar to performing with a live band in what looks to be a small concert hall (via Instagram).
Fans can even see the Netflix star showing off her voice in her home on numerous occasions online.
How To Follow Julia Macchio Online
Fans looking to follow Julia Macchio online can do so on X and Instagram.
Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 3 is streaming on Netflix.
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