Part 1 of the sixth season of Cobra Kai is out now, and the drama and anticipation for the rest of the season is heating up. With part 2 coming out in November and part 3 set to drop in 2025, you’ll have to wait and see where all your favorite characters end up. One of these characters, Demetri Alexopolous, the relatable and resident nerd of Miyagi-Do Karate has been played by Gianni DeCenzo since 2018 and we got to chat with Gianni to learn more about his character’s growth. He also teases what we can expect from Demetri coming up in the rest of season six.
Cobra Kai is a sequel to the original The Karate Kid films taking place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and follows the rekindling of the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).
COBRA KAI SPOILER: The final season of Cobra Kai picks up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, with the senseis and students deciding if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai, the world championship of karate.
All your favorite Cobra Kai stars are back for season six, including the OGs and some new faces. During a significant amount of the series, Demetri is at odds with best friend-turned bully Hawk, played by Jacob Bertrand. Demetri later joined Miyagi-Do Karate in hopes of learning self defense.
“For my character this season, we see a completely new side to him.”
Gianni has been in the film and TV industry for a number of years, and starred in commercials when he was younger. He has been in episodes of The Middle, The League, Back in the Game, and Liv and Maddie. After taking on the role of Demetri in 2018, GIanni has also starred in both NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Gianni said season six was the most fight-packed season for him. Throughout the show, he said he has learned better time management with practicing lines, his fight choreography and also learning how to take time for himself and enjoy the process.
“This season in particular was the most fight-packed season I’ve ever done.”
As we had asked fellow Cobra Kai star Jacob Bertrand in a previous interview, Gianni talked to us about working with his “binary brother” Jacob on set, and he said they’ve built up a special connection through six seasons of the show.
“I had a lot of fight scenes with Jacob [Bertrand]. He’s my binary bro and he is really good at it so I watch him and see how he handles fight coordination.”
Demetri has always been the moral compass of the group throughout Cobra Kai, but Gianni said we get to see a new side of Demetri this season, with more coming in part 2 and 3. Demetri has always stayed true to who he is, but he faces new challenges with friendships and Gianni is excited for people to see the growth of his character.
Even in the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, Gianni said he has learned a lot from playing Demetri, especially when it comes to being yourself and being confident. He said he loves when people tell him they can relate to Demetri, and he hopes his portrayal of the character is a lesson to not be afraid to be who you are.
“My biggest thing for Demetri was teaching people how to be comfortable in their own skin.”
Thank you, Gianni, for Facetiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow him on his Instagram at @gianni_decenzo. Make sure to watch the rest of the interview where we ask Gianni about the growth of his character, some behind the scenes moments, and stay tuned at the end for a round of rapid fire questions all about firsts! Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- Don’t be afraid to take a step back from your work sometimes. Caring for yourself and enjoying yourself on set is also just as important.
- One tip for memorizing lines is to keep saying them aloud and repeating them to yourself until you can’t forget them.
