Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Cobra Kai’s Dallas Dupree Young

Dallas Dupree Young is a rising star who is quickly making a name for himself in Hollywood. His impressive list of credits include projects like The Fosters, Cousins for Life, and Mixed-ish.

This winter, he enters the dojo in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series Cobra Kai.

Pop Culturalist spoke with Dallas about joining the cast of Cobra Kai and what audiences should know about his character Kenny.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Dallas: I discovered my passion for acting while watching TV shows like Jessie, Hannah Montana, and Family Matters. I felt this unbelievable joy and happiness while watching them. I was like, “I want to make other people feel that way.” So I started to play different characters and portray different emotions to explore where I could go with it. The next thing you know, I was like, “I love this. This is my passion.”

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Dallas: I have two. Watching my dad’s work ethic while growing up influenced me in a lot of different ways. I grew up at the ballpark since my dad was a professional baseball player. I got to watch his work ethic and see how determined he was in getting everything that he wanted.

The other is someone whom I’ve never met and that’s Denzel Washington. I love his body of work and his art. He is so talented and creative.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out to you?
Dallas: Besides Cobra Kai, it would be my experience on the Nickelodeon show Cousins for Life. I learned so much from that family. I call the cast my family because they taught me so much about life, becoming a man, and everything. It was so fun working with them for six months and being on a Nickelodeon TV show.

PC: Speaking of Cobra Kai, you’re starring in the upcoming season. What should audiences know about your character?
Dallas: What fans should know about my character is that he’s a bullied new kid who is struggling with a rough home life. He turns to karate as a way to defend himself and gain confidence through the teaching of his dojo. I want to let all the fans know that he will have a nice and pivotal role alongside all the other character storylines and that it will all make sense in the end. It’ll all make sense on December 31st. I’m really excited for everybody to watch it.

PC: How familiar were you with the series before you joined the cast? Did you feel any pressure joining the show?
Dallas: I was very familiar with the TV show. I was a huge fan of it. I loved all three seasons that I saw on Netflix. I really enjoyed it thoroughly, especially because my mom and dad are big Karate Kid fans. I was like, “Oh my goodness. I love this.” I went back and watched all the Karate Kid movies. I wanted to see the origins of it and the way they played those characters in light of how they’ve grown since—because it’s thirty years later. It’s really cool to see the rivalry between Daniel and Johnny grow. I’m so blessed to be a part of this.

PC: What was the preparation like getting ready to play this character? What kind of training did you have to do?
Dallas: I did a lot of stunt work and karate training. I wanted to be prepared to join this cast. I had a lot of nerves because everyone is older than me and they’ve been there since Season 1. I was like, “I need to put my best foot forward and work extra hard.” I was determined to keep elevating my level. I decided to do some extra preparation and get myself into the mindset of my character. Because I didn’t go through bullying growing up, but I had to get into the mindset of a kid who was struggling with finding his identity during his teenage years.

PC: How did you build your bond with the rest of the cast?
Dallas: That’s a good question. I wanted to have a conversation with each and every one of the cast members to get to know them and build that chemistry on set. I’ll tell you this: meeting all of them might have been the most nerve-wracking thing that I’ve ever done in my life. They’re all so iconic and legendary. I made it my mission to have a conversation with each of them. They all said they were so excited to have me join the cast, so that made me feel a lot more comfortable.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Dallas: The Young and the Restless.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Dallas: Pan.

PC: Favorite book?
Dallas: James and the Giant Peach.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Dallas: Wicked.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Dallas: The Weeknd.

PC: Dream role?
Dallas: I’d love to play Malcolm X.

To keep up with Dallas, follow him on Instagram. Watch Season 4 of Cobra Kai on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Jonny Marlow