Actor Jacob Bertrand in the global hit Netflix series ‘Cobra Kai’, which is returning for the first part of its final seasonon 18th July. With his fellow Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña, in 2021 they debuted their podcast ‘Lone Lobos’.

Jacob, we’ll be soon seeing you in the first part of the final season of ‘Cobra Kai’. What can you tease about the final season of the show?

This season has a lot of firsts. It gets pretty dark at some points too. I’m so stoked to have the fans see very different sides of all the characters, Plus the stunts this season are taken to a whole new level. I got to do a high fall for the first time on 2nd unit and that was so scary, but very fun to learn how to do.

What do you love the most about this show and how do you think the story has evolved throughout all the seasons?

I mean, I just love getting to learn stunts. It’s such a hard skill to pick up and there is no half-assing it. That’s been one of my favorite parts of this show, learning a new skill. In terms of the evolution, this is the pinnacle. It’s not just who’s the best in the valley, it’s who’s the Omega Overlord of the world. 

What made you connect the most with your character Hawk, and how do you see his development from season 1 until the final season?

This kid’s come a long way. I think I really identify with Hawk’s sense of looking for a place to belong. I really felt like I didn’t have a good friend group or have anyone that really knew me as a kid. And I think Hawk dives headfirst into whatever group or team he’s a part of because he’s looking for a family that can understand him. Him finally finding confidence through Demetri and Miguel was really fun to see, and how he chooses to trust them and Sensei Larusso. He’s a lost kid, but I think at the end of his arc he really knows who he is.

You’ve started your career very young. How would you say those early projects prepared you for a career in this industry?

I think learning how to deal with rejection is the biggest thing for an actor to learn because it’s going to happen over and over, unless you’re some acting God that just books everything they touch. 

How have you developed as an actor since your first acting gig?

I’ve been really lucky that I have worked with very talented older actors who were willing to take me under their wing and give advice. When I was very young, I was on a show where Casey Sander, who played my grandfather, really showed me the ropes and taught me really what it means to be an actor. Stephen Kearin, Ralph, Billy, I’ve been very blessed in terms of the men who have taken time to share their wisdom.

What was it about acting that made you want to pursue it as a profession?

When I was a kid, it was just a way to get out of school and away from bullies. So, I think in a way being on set and getting to dive into another character is escapism for me, and almost has this nostalgic sense of safety and creativity that I didn’t really get anywhere else growing up. For me, after things got better at school and acting wasn’t the necessity it was in terms of escapism, I had this moment where I just felt like I couldn’t stop doing it, that I’ve been so blessed to gain this knowledge about a craft that I love doing and doesn’t feel like work. Why would I trade that for anything else?

Looking back at your career so far, what are your next career goals, and dreams?

I’d love to direct, and getting to work with my friends is a huge goal of mine. I’ve been writing a lot this last year and have some projects I’ve been working on on the side, so I’m really stoked to start to get that stuff going. And of course, getting the opportunity to do interesting roles.

In 2021, you and your ‘Cobra Kai’ co-star Xolo debuted your podcast ‘Lone Lobos’. Tell us more about it, what made you decide to work on it, and what inspires your new episodes.

The idea for ‘Lone Lobos’ came about in 2018, I think when Xolo and I got approached by some podcast companies to do a gaming podcast, which would’ve been cool, but neither of us identify as gamers. So, we thought “Hey, people are showing interest in us as podcasters from a corporate standpoint at least, maybe we can try our hand at actually doing this in a creative way that feels true to us”. The first name was ‘Shooting the Sh*t’, but we very quickly found out how hard it is to get sponsors with a curse word in your name, so that’s how ‘Lone Lobos’ was born, since my siblings make fun of me and call me a lone wolf. What inspires our new episodes is sort of this idea that we’re creating a community and a sort of time capsule for our lives. We get to share a portion of our lives with awesome people who support us and just have fun hanging out together.

When you are not filming, how do you like spending your free time?

I’ve been doing a lot of road trips lately. Xolo and I just road tripped from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada as a little birthday trip to him and to visit our costar Peyton. I love woodworking with my brother and dad. I rock climb pretty regularly and love surfing. Have been dabbling in architecture classes as of late too, just so I can build my own home one day.

What can you share with us about your other upcoming projects, besides of course all three parts of the final season of ‘Cobra Kai’ coming out over the next few months?

I have some super fun stuff in the works with some friends that I can’t wait for people to see, and some pretty dark stuff too that I hope people like.