Regarding her experience on the new “Cobra Kai” series on YouTube, she noted that it was a truly “wonderful” experience.”
Henggeler acknowledged that she did not know what to expect. “I booked ‘Cobra Kai’ and was told I would be moving to Georgia the next week. Which sounds fun and jet-setty to my inner 20-year-old, but I am now in my 30’s and don’t exactly travel light anymore. I come with a very supportive husband, a seven-month-old bundle of baby dynamite named Oscar and a two-year-old golden doodle puppy.”
She continued, “We all packed up, landed an adorable AirBnB and found ourselves living in Atlanta a week later. I don’t think I even had time to be nervous. Joining the cast the next day was a very surreal experience. I must have seen the ‘Karate Kid’ 100 times when I was young. And here I am, casually talking to Billy Zabka about where to get the best take-out. Everyone was so kind, and genuinely so excited about the show we were about to make. The cast, the crew, everyone made going to work a blast. I feel so grateful for the group of people we had.”
Her future plans are to have more children. “If you ask my husband, it’s having more babies,” she said.
Each day, she is motivated by her goals. “I keep a list of goals on my phone to keep me focused. They literally range anywhere from doing the baby’s laundry to buying a house in Brentwood. As long as there are things to complete on that list, I keep hustling. Also wine. Wine is a very good motivator for me. You want me to do your laundry too? Buy me a bottle of Cabernet. Your socks will be washed and folded before you can pop that cork.”
For aspiring actors, she encouraged them to get in a good acting class. “A good class that challenges you, terrifies you and keeps you up at night. Anything less than that, you’re wasting your money on being comfortable. Comfortable is boring. Comfortable doesn’t move you to the next level,” she said. “Surround yourself with people who are motivated to make things happen. It doesn’t matter what field they’re in. You just need to be inspired and encouraged to move forward and create.”
An equally important piece of advice is to not wait for anybody to give you a job. “I spent too much of my career feeling powerless. Growing resentful of this machine that could anoint you with incredible success and crush your soul all in the same week. And even when I did get ‘the job’ feeling disappointed because everything in my life didn’t magically change they way I anticipated it would,” she said.
She further added, “There will always be another audition. There will always be another job, but chasing them isn’t the goal. Even getting the job isn’t the goal. The goal is to feel fulfilled. The goal is to wake-up and love what you have created and what you will create. So create it. Don’t count on this business to hold your hand and brush your hair and tell you you’re pretty. Be your own hair brusher.”
Digital transformation of entertainment
On the impact of technology int he entertainment business, she said, “The game has changed so much since I started. Social media has created a platform for virtually anyone now. Singers, writers, actors, hip-hop dancers, and makeup artists. Everyone can create content and have it easily accessible to the public. It’s not the network TV, movie or cable world domination anymore. I remember my first audition for a Netflix show. It was before they launched their programming and the concept of having a TV show on a movie rental streaming service sounded ridiculous to me. Who’s going to watch this? Guess what. Everyone. That’s who. I love that there is so much content out there now, but in the same token, it’s a bit overwhelming. There’s almost too much to watch now. There are nights my husband and I end up not watching anything because we spent the entire evening debating 15 shows we’re told we have to watch. And now it’s mid-night, and we have to go to bed.”
Regarding her use of technology in her daily routine, she noted that her cellphone is her best friend. “Shameful as that may be. I can use it for social media. I have apps that I use multiple times a day on there: IMDB, Rehearsal 2, Vimeo. I film auditions, edit them and upload them to send to my agents all on my phone. And I even have an app that adds laser cats to my work, if I’m feeling flirty.”
Henggeler listed Academy Award winner Gary Oldman as her dream male acting partner to work with someday. “Gary Oldman is just incredible. Bill Murray I could watch all day. And Chris Pine, because let’s be honest, he’s very talented but also dreamy as hell,” she said.
For the fans and viewers, she concluded about “Cobra Kai,” “I hope you love it as much as we loved making it.”
