Patrick Luwis made his debut as Axel in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2, and fans may be curious about the new addition to the show's cast.
Originally from Washington D.C., Luwis is most well-known for his supporting role as Ivar in both Rebel Moon movies. He also recently appeared in a minor role in 2023's Barbie, among other projects.
Still, his role in Netflix's Cobra Kai is likely many fans' introduction to Luwis, with this arguably being his biggest television role to date.
Who Is Patrick Luwis? Biography Details
Patrick Luwis Has Studied in 3 Different Countries
According to Patrick Luwis' website, he has gone to school in three different countries over the years — the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
First, he studied Theatre in Rhetoric at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Then, he studied at both the University of Oxford in England and at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Studying abroad, according to his website, was "one of the best times of his life," because people found his American accent "cool:"
"He also studied at the University of Oxford in England and in New Zealand at the University of Auckland, which he regards as one of the best times of his life because, for once, his American accent was considered cool."
This is all in addition to his coaching in Los Angeles, as is discussed on his website too.
Luwis Got His Acting Start in Theater
In an interview with Actors With Issues, Luwis talked about how he had never even considered acting until he took "a theater class to fill a fine arts requirement" at Hampden-Sydney College:
"[Acting] was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t really have any friends who did it, and I hadn’t been introduced to it through parents or mentors. ... I ended up taking a theater class to fill a fine arts requirement, and I loved it. I was sort of like, 'Where has this been my whole life?'"
Soon thereafter, he played Romeo in a school production of Romeo and Juliet. In addition to having roles in multiple other plays at school, Luwis also won The Robert Porterfield Prize in Theatre.
Luwis Loves Nature and Sports
Two of Luwis' passions are the outdoors and athletics.
On his website, it says that "if a snake isn't poisonous," Luwis will often hold it — and "even if it is, he still might:"
"He also loves wildlife and being outside. If a snake isn't poisonous, he will most likely pick it up. Even if it is, he still might."
As for sports, Luwis' resume lists at least 20 athletics skills Luwis knows. This covers everything from basketball to ping pong, with other noteworthy sports skills of his being in lacrosse, frisbee, diving, and archery, among others.
The full list is as follows:
"Archery, Backflip, Baseball, Basketball, Canoeing, Cycling, Diving, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Football, Frisbee, Gold, Guitar, Hackey Sack, Handstand, Juggling, Lacrosse, Ping Pong, Rifle, Rock Climber, Skateboard, Snorkeling, Soccer, Surfing, Weight Lifting."
Luwis Almost Didn't Audition for Cobra Kai
In an interview with Cobra Kai Nation, Luwis explained that he was not sure he was going to be picked for the role, particularly because it "required an accent," so he figured "somebody who has an accent already" would be cast:
"I saw that it was a role that required an accent, and ... I was like, 'they're probably just going to cast somebody who has an accent already."
Because of this (and the character's level of martial arts knowledge), Luwis said to Actors With Issues, he felt he would be facing "an uphill battle" to get the role, and that at the audition, he might "look like an idiot to this casting office." Because of this, he almost convinced himself to not give it a shot:
"So all these things felt like it was an uphill battle already ... I thought, 'I'm going to look like an idiot to this casting office.' I was talking myself out of it."
In the end though, as Luwis shared with Cobra Kai Nation, he found himself excited about the prospect of potentially getting the role, and after his audition waited anxiously until he learned he booked it:
"I had to wait an entire weekend to find out the next week if I got it or not, so that was, man, I didn't sleep a wink. I was just like 'ah' the whole time, I was just like 'please, please go through' and it worked out."
Where To Follow Patrick Luwis Online?
Fans can follow Patrick Luwis on Instagram @patrickdluwis, and can see him in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2 on Netflix.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.