Cobra Kai: Dallas Dupree Young Details Kenny's Martial Arts Evolution

One of the most nuanced characters in Cobra Kai is Kenny Payne, a teenager who is bullied and ostracized mercilessly by his classmates leading him to turn to karate to defend himself. Unfortunately, Kenny selects the Cobra Kai dojo for guidance, leading him to become a hardened fighter that develops a penchant for violence that ultimately alienates him from his initial mentor, Robby Keene. Played by Dallas Dupree Young, Kenny's antagonistic turn in Cobra Kai Season 4 sets him up for an even larger role in Season 5 as Sensei Terry Silver's protege.

In an exclusive interview with CBR, Young shared how he joined Cobra Kai as Kenny, explained how he has grown and developed his character across the show, and teased what fans can expect from Kenny in Season 5.

CBR: Kenny has one of the more heartbreaking character arcs in Cobra Kai. When we first see him, he just wants to get nachos and play fantasy games but has his whole life wrecked. When you met with showrunners Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg, how much of Kenny's journey did they lay out for you?

Dallas Dupree Young: Whenever I was having the conversation with Jon, Josh, and Hayden, they pretty much laid out the whole entire storyline. They talked to me about the beginning arc and how he's pretty much a shy, timid kid who struggles with bullying, and then he becomes a fierce competitor by the end of the season. What I didn't know is what was going to happen in between that time and also the whole locker room scene and the beginning, when I got bullied. They laid the foundation of my character and talked about where he was at the time and where he was going to get by the end of the season.

Was there anything from that conversation or in the script that helped you find the voice for the character?

Yeah, the action lines that I was looking at, with the character and the things he was saying. I pretty much had to put myself into that mindset and think about a kid who is shy, struggles with bullying and doesn't know his own identity yet. I had to find that voice, figure out my character's emotions, and then execute them.

Kenny and Robby are like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi: friends and mentors turned bitter enemies. How is it working opposite Tanner Buchanan to develop that dynamic?

Working opposite Tanner was an unbelievable experience for me personally because I grew up watching Tanner on different TV shows; I was pretty much starstruck when I met him. What a lot of people don't know about our relationship is that he was the first person that I met on set. I got there, and I wasn't even there to film that day. I was there to meet with some of the training choreographers. He came there just to meet me and introduce himself, and our mentor/mentee relationship started on that first day.

We became friends and had multiple conversations on set about our characters' arcs and how we could go about the season. He pretty much gave me the layout on Cobra Kai and how they worked and told me we were going to have a great time. Working alongside him was just a whirlwind, and I'll never forget it.

In talking about the stunt choreography, Kenny gets into a lot of fights in Season 5. How is it working with Hiro Koda and Jahnel Curfman to develop your martial arts training?

Getting the martial arts training down is a lot to handle. It's very intensive training, but it's everything that we need. It's pretty much to help us get into shape, not worry about the choreography in each scene, and focus on the basics of karate, too -- figuring out the mental aspect of karate in everything. Just working with stunt choreographers is incredible, and I was extremely [nerve-wracked] going into Season 4, but especially going into Season 5, I was more relaxed.

It's not necessarily difficult, but it's a lot to go through, and you have to think about the character side of it too -- not just Dallas but Kenny Payne and what he's thinking about and why he's doing every single motion the way that he is. We pretty much go through character development that way, and that's what made the stunt choreography so special in Season 4, and you'll see it in Season 5.

I read somewhere that you were inspired by Bruce Lee and Wesley Snipes. What were some of your big takeaways watching them in action on the big screen?

My biggest takeaway from watching them is just their technique and also the emotion that they're showing. Every motion is very precise, and it has meaning every single time. I just watched Blade not too long ago, and I was studying and analyzing every single thing that Wesley Snipes was doing, and he was unbelievable. Every movement was so calculated, and he knew it, and he knew what he was going to do. That's why that movie is so great.

In many ways, Kenny's arc is like Danny LaRusso if he had broken bad. As a Karate Kid fan, how was it taking that journey?

The writers -- Jon, Josh, and Hayden -- told me at the beginning that it was pretty much an homage to Danny LaRusso when he was a kid. Being able to live in Daniel LaRusso's mindset and also have the chance to talk to Ralph [Macchio] about my character -- He was a really beneficial help for me and helped me with my arc. It's cool and incredible that I get to play that character who is pretty much just like Daniel LaRusso if he had gone to the bad side like I did in Season 4.

Was it intimidating joining a show in its fourth season, with the cast already forming their own cliques?

100%! I think that might've been the most challenging thing for me going into Season 4. I remember on my first day, I was sweating bullets, and my first scene, I did the scene of me going into the dojo after Hawk had just messed with me at the school, with Nate [Oh] and Owen [Morgan] there. That was my first scene, and I remember thinking that I needed to establish myself here and also be respectful to everybody -- to include myself but stay back at the same time. A lot of things were going through my head, honestly, but it was something crazy and very intimidating.

With Kreese off the board at the end of Season 4, Kenny is the apple of Terry Silver's eye. How is it working with Thomas Ian Griffith, and how tall is that dude?

I don't know his exact height, but all I'm going to say is that any scene we have where we're just talking to each other, [I'm looking all the way up at him]. I'm not even joking. I remember a scene that we had in Season 4, I was looking straight up at him. I was on an apple box, and I was still looking up at him. He might be 6'6" to 6'9", honestly.

Working with Thomas Ian Griffith was a great experience and a very influential experience as well because he taught me a lot about martial arts and just finding the character's identity and character development and just the Cobra Kai way and being in that mindset. Working with him was a great experience, I'll [never] forget it, and I can't wait for everybody to see our work this season, especially.

You mentioned being nervous going into Season 4. How much has changed for you, with a year under your belt, going into Season 5?

There was a huge change for me, it was very significant. It was important for me to feel established and just [be] with everybody. Everybody welcomed me with open arms from day one on Season 4. During the All-Valley, that's when I really got to spend the most time with everybody. Going into Season 5, I understood our friendships and the relationships that we had with each other. It was very important for me to evolve and find my identity as a teenager in real life, and being with all of those cast members was incredible for me.

Cobra Kai does Super Bowl numbers. How has the response been for you coming off of Season 4?

The response has been something I'll never forget, honestly, in my entire life. The response from everybody and how they feel about my character and how I've impacted their lives is so special to me. Just the notoriety that I've gotten is unbelievable. I never expected this really because people told me that my life was going to change, but I didn't expect that the numbers were like this. Just the number of my Instagram followers skyrocketed out of nowhere. People would see me on the street and be like, "Are you Kenny?" It's just been a great experience for me, and I can't wait for people to grow with my character.

Cobra Kai is a show that's all about redemption, we've seen with Johnny Lawrence, Hawk, and Robby. How much of that kid that loves to play fantasy games and go to the movies is still in Kenny?

Of course, I think that that character is still in there, but I can't talk too much about my character in Season 5, so I'm going to leave it at that! I think there's still that fun-loving kid in there, and I just can't wait for y'all to really dive deep in this character in Season 5.

Dallas, what can you tease about Kenny in Cobra Kai Season 5?

What I can tease about Kenny in Season 5 is to think about his journey at the All-Valley and what just happened. Just think about the continuation of that moment, and you'll see his growth and his evolution as a competitor, a student, and a kid. I can't wait for y'all to see it -- it's going to be something great.

Created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, Cobra Kai Season 5 is streaming now on Netflix.