Mary Mouser Reveals Why Kissing Her Cobra Kai Co-Star Was ‘Stressful’

Tanner Buchanan, Xolo Maridueña and Mary Mouser

Getty Tanner Buchanan and his cast mates Xolo Maridueña and Mary Mouser pose at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019.

On Cobra Kai, Daniel LaRusso’s daughter Samantha (Mary Mouser) has three love interests throughout the show’s three seasons. In the first season, she initially dates Kyler (Joe Seo) and then moves onto Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). During the second season, she begins a romantic relationship with Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) before getting back together with Miguel in Cobra Kai Season 3. 


Mary Mouser Discussed Having To Kiss Her Co-Stars

Xolo Maridueña

GettyXolo Maridueña strikes a pose at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

In a May 2019 interview on the Zach Sang Show, Mouser revealed that she felt uncomfortable kissing her Cobra Kai co-stars. 

She referred to a scene in Season 1, Episode 7, where Miguel and Sam kiss at Golf N’ Stuff. The actress explained that leading up to filming the romantic scene, she was “having a great time all day” with Maridueña. The actors believed that they “had three more scenes” to shoot before having to share their first on-screen kiss. They were then told, however, that “they were running out of time,” so the scene had to be filmed immediately. 

“I was like, ‘oh my god,’ and Xolo and I just look at each other and we’re like — suddenly not able to make eye contact. And it was like super awkward and like very nerve racking, and then we got through it though. We got through it. But I think the whole time we were like trying not to laugh and trying to take it seriously and trying to also not cringe because we were like siblings,” recalled the actress. 

Mouser then suggested that she was more comfortable with kissing Maridueña than Buchanan.

“The thing was going into Season 1. I knew that [kissing Maridueña] was going to happen at some point so that was like fine. Going into Season 2, I had to kiss Robby played by Tanner Buchanan. Did not see that coming,” said Mouser. 

She disclosed that she believed Samantha would not pursue a relationship with Robby during the show’s second season. 

“Then like a few episodes in it was like almost kiss moment and I started being like I was sweating again,” said the 24-year-old. “That one was way more stressful because I was like not seeing it coming, you know what I mean. For Season 1, I know I was like looking at Xolo was I was like, ‘dude we’re friends we’re going to kiss at some point it won’t be weird and it’ll be over.’ And with Tanner it was like we have multiple kiss scenes.” 

Mouser also noted that she is self-conscious while filming romantic  scenes. 

“People are staring at you, and it’s also recorded if you make a weird face if you like if your tongue goes somewhere weird if like your lips — it’s just all recorded and people can watch it back,” said the actress. 


Tanner Buchanan Shared Similar Sentiments in a September 2020 Interview

Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser Comic-Con

GettyTanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser speak during San Diego Comic-Con 2019: Day Two.

While talking to Ralph Macchio in September 2020 for Interview Magazine, Tanner Buchanan also shared similar sentiments about kissing Mouser on Cobra Kai

“The romantic scenes are what cause me the most anxiety. You could talk to Mary [Mouser] about this because she and I are such good friends,” said the 22-year-old. “When we had our first kiss scene in season two, they were asking us, ‘Are you ready?’ My heart was pounding, I was shaking. It just feels weird to go to that place, because we’re such good friends.”

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