Rob Garrison death: The Karate Kid actor dies aged 59
Garrison plays Tommy in the 1984 film
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Rob Garrison, who played Tommy in The Karate Kid, has died aged 59.
Garrison appeared as Ralph Macchio's high school nemesis in the 1984 martial arts drama that also starred Noriyuki “Pat” Morita.
“Rob was a great person and ambassador to The Karate Kid legacy,” his representative Rick Henriques told Deadline.
“His performance in Season 2 of [the web series] Cobra Kai, being his last, was simply amazing and he stole the episode.
“He will be missed by me and everyone he encountered.”
A cause of death wasn’t immediately announced.
Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Garrison was best known for his role in The Karate Kid. His most famous line in the film is the gleeful “Get him a body bag!”, which Tommy utters during the fight scene between Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).
He reprised the role of Tommy in the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part Ii.
Throughout his career, Garrison scored a number of TV credits, including in MacGyver and Columbo.
Most recently, he had appeared in the YouTube Premium series Cobra Kai, which is based on the Karate Kid franchise and features Macchio as LaRusso.
He once again appeared as Tommy in the season two episode “Take a Right”.
Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz paid tribute to Garrison on Twitter on Friday, writing: “Our entire Karate Kid/Cobra Kai family is devastated by the news of OG Cobra Rob Garrison’s passing.
“He was a truly gifted performer and an even better man. My heart goes out to Rob’s family during this difficult time. #RIP”
Garrison had thanked fans for their positive feedback on his Cobra Kai appearance in an April tweet.
“Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments on my appearance in Cobra Kai. Makes me feel great,” he wrote at the time. ”Had a wonderful time doing it.”
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Cobra Kai earned two nominations in 2018 and 2019, each time for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program.
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