Courtney Henggeler has a number of standout moments in Cobra Kai, but if you watched that Season 3 trailer, you probably know the one that was a top priority to discuss - that slap. While Amanda has been a key ally for Daniel (Ralph Macchio) since the start of the show, Season 3 marks the very first time Amanda gets her hands dirty and Henggeler gets to do a stunt. As we see in that promo, at some point in the season, Amanda pays Cobra Kai a visit and does not like what John Kreese (Martin Kove) has to say.

With the show hitting Netflix on New Year’s Day, I got to chat with Henggeler who offered some behind-the-scenes details on the unforgettable moment:

“Every season, before we get started, the creators sit us down and kind of give us the general vibe of what our characters will be doing during the season and give us an idea what to expect, and they were like, ‘And, you’re gonna slap Kreese.’ And I was like, ‘I get a stunt!’ They’re like, ‘Eh, can we call it a stunt?’ But I was very excited.”

Ralph Macchio and Courtney Henggeler in Cobra Kai Season 3
Image via Netflix

On the day, however? Henggeler admitted she was actually quite nervous! “I’ve never worked with Martin.” Even though they do see each other in the make-up trailer and chat casually, “He’s like this other part of the show that I never get to interact in.” Until now that is! So what went down on the big day? Here’s how she described it:

“They had a stunt coordinator there for me, because that was my big stunt. And Martin’s done a bajillion stunts in his days, so he was guiding me and they were all showing me how to do it so it looks like I’m hitting him. We do it a couple times and they’re like, ‘Alright, one more time, Courtney,’ and I’m feeling really good about myself, hauled off and just cracked him right across the face. And they say when you do stunts to never stop … If you actually make contact with somebody, just keep going because not only will you just hit somebody but then you just ruined the shot. I think that is the take they use in the episode with me actually making contact with his face.”

While Henggeler did note that they cut away from her fast because her reaction to actually slapping Kove might have been more shocked than capturing Amanda’s rage in the moment, at least Henggeler followed the “never stop” rule well enough to allow them to keep that slap in the episode because it looks real good!

Courtney Henggeler and Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai Season 3
Image via Netflix

If you’d like to hear more from Henggeler about working with Kove and about nailing more one-liners than ever this season, check out the video at the top of this article. And, if you’re looking for even more from the Cobra Kai cast, be sure to circle back to Collider because we’ll be unveiling the spoilers portion of our conversations all week!

Courtney Henggeler:

  • What makes Ralph Macchio a standout scene partner?
  • Henggeler discusses that Kreese/Amanda showdown.
  • Does Henggeler want to do more stunts down the line?
  • Henggeler highlights the joys of working with Martin Kove.
  • Henggeler discusses nailing the timing and intonation on Amanda’s best one-liners.