Why Mary Mouser Felt Hesitant to Befriend Peyton List

YouTube Tory and Sam face off in 'Cobra Kai' season 2.

On the Emmy-nominated show “Cobra Kai,” most characters have at least one karate rival. For instance, Daniel LaRusso’s (Ralph Macchio) daughter, Samantha (Mary Mouser), inherited her father’s distrust of Cobra Kai students and has a nemesis, named Tory Nichols (Peyton List). Not only do the teenagers practice at rivaling dojos, but they also both have dated fellow martial artist Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). 

Mary Mouser Discussed Her Relationship With Peyton List

During a January 2021 SmartEntertainmentGroup.com interview, alongside her “Cobra Kai” co-star Courtney Henggeler, Mary Mouser shared that she was hesitant to have a friendship with Peyton List, as she felt it would interfere with her acting. She explained that when List joined the “Cobra Kai” cast, they “didn’t know each other super well.” 

“We actually knew each other from way back when we were like toddlers we would audition against each other,” said Mouser. “So we knew each other and we were like friends from like hanging out in waiting rooms when we were little but remet as our adult-selves I guess. And I remember that moment of meeting her the first time I was so nervous, ’cause I was like I know this girl is supposed to be my rival, I hope she’s not a method actor.” 

Mouser then shared that she was initially interested in befriending her, as she did not “know if [she] could handle being mean to somebody all the time.” However, she did not establish a friendship with List during the show’s second season. 

“Like season 2 we kind of got to know each other but I think we were like maybe we shouldn’t be friends, too close, because we didn’t want to ruin the rivalry thing,” explained Mouser. 

The 25-year-old went on to say that they eventually stopped being concerned about how their friendship would impact Sam and Tory’s interactions.  

“In season 3, we threw that out the window. We were like we have a bunch of scenes together and we’re going to kick each other’s butts and it would be more fun if we just hung out. So we jam out to Disney songs and we did karaoke, we backed each other up on like various ABBA songs, it was very fun,” shared Mouser. 

She then revealed that while filming season 3, the actresses had “to figure out how to stay angry at each other.”

“I think we both just probably do the thing where you just picture somebody else’s face that you really don’t like. It works every time,” quipped Mouser. 

Peyton List Compared Acting Alongside Mary Mouser to ‘a Sleepover’ in a December 2020 Interview

Mary Mouser and Peyton List spoke about their on-screen rivalry during a December 2020 Collider interview. List explained how they prepare for scenes when their characters are fighting. 

“It almost feels like we’re going to bed at a sleepover and you’re under the sleeping bag next to your friend and you’re like, ‘Okay we’re about to be angry okay alright. I’ll see you in a second. Goodnight.’ And then you just go away and then you come back, it’s just like our personal lives leave and luckily we’re able to separate that,” shared the 23-year-old.  

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