Vanessa Rubio Reveals What It’s Like Working With William Zabka

Vanessa Rubio is best known for her role as Carmen Diaz on Netflix’s hit series “Cobra Kai.” Carmen is the the warm and caring mother of teenage lead Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), and a poor immigrant from Ecuador.

The series starts off with protagonist Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) saving Miguel from a gang of bullies, which prompts Miguel to seek tutelage from the former Cobra Kai student-turned deadbeat dad. Over the course of the series, Miguel and Johnny develop a strong, almost father-son bond, a bond which Johnny took one step further in cementing by beginning a secret liaison with Carmen in season 2. Although they broke up, they reconciled near the end of season 3, but have still not told anyone about it.

On Friday, Rubio gave an interview with ScreenRant, in which she spoke about her character’s relationships with Johnny and Miguel, and what might happen in the upcoming season.

Here’s what you need to know:

Rubio Teases Season 4 Plotlines

YouTube YouTubeCarmen Diaz (Vanessa Rubio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in season 2 of “Cobra Kai.”

In the show, Miguel does not yet know about the relationship between Johnny and his mother. In her ScreenRant interview, Rubio confirmed that, if Miguel were to find out, it will indeed be awkward, and Johnny will “definitely” make it weird. In January, Maridueña said in an interview with EW that there would probably be “some problems” if Miguel found out about the relationship, given how Johnny felt like a father figure to him. Entering into that kind of a relationship, he said, would be “crossing a line.”

While discussing Johnny’s humorously blunt and clueless character, Rubio said that it was “absolutely” hard to keep a straight face during those scenes, describing Carmen as the “straight man” in such situations. She added that Johnny’s evolution of character is “absolutely happening,” in part due to his relationships with Carmen and Miguel.

Rubio also teased that in season 4, viewers will get to see “such a great evolution” between Carmen and Miguel, and that her relationship with Johnny has “enabled her to loosen up…trust more, and to allow Miguel to do his thing.”

She went on to say that, despite what may happen, “we can’t imagine that Carmen and Miguel would ever have a huge rift. She’s a single mother and he knows that he’s basically all that she has.”

Rubio Gave Insight On Behind-the-Scenes Dynamics

In the interview, Rubio also discussed what it was like working with legendary actors William Zabka and Ralph Macchio, who portrays co-lead Daniel LaRusso.

She said that, “fortunately,” working with Zabka was “very nice,” and that their chemistry on-screen was very natural. “We’ve come to a really good way of working with each other where we’re just completely in the moment,” she explained. “We’re able to trust that the magic will happen there.”

Rubio said that the scenes with Johnny, Daniel, and Daniel’s wife Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) – such as those in season 2 where the two couples go on double dates – were her favorite to shoot. She also teased that in season 4, these “families come together.”

Rubio said of Henggeler, “it feels like we’re sisters from another past life. We get along really well and I’m really grateful for her presence in the show.” Rubio and Henggeler have been very open about their real-life friendship which developed during their time on the show, even though Henggeler may have been quite jealous of Rubio when they first met.

Rubio also said of Macchio, “Ralph leads the show with such grace, groundedness, and professionalism that you just can’t go wrong.”

She added that she believed the “Cobra Kai” story was about Johnny’s journey, and that she believed the audience was supposed to be rooting for him moving forward. “I think we’re all rooting for him as viewers to shape up his act and to heal the old wounds of the past,” she explained. “The fact that her character is drawn in this way as a really big pull for him to better himself allows us as viewers to see his evolution.”

Vanessa Rubio has been upgraded to main cast for season 4, meaning that viewers will likely get to see much more of Carmen and the development of her relationships. Be sure to catch season 4 when it is released on Netflix December 31.