Actor Gianni DeCenzo chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his experience on the hit Netflix series “Cobra Kai” and being an actor in the digital age.
He stars as Demetri in the hit Netflix series “Cobra Kai,” which hit the No. 1 spot on the worldwide Top 10 list. “It has been crazy,” he said about his experience in the popular series “Cobra Kai.” “This has been a wild ride. When I first auditioned for this I was 16, and now I am 20. Back then, I had no idea what to expect but it has been awesome to be a part of something that so many people love.”
“I love being able to share that with people. Plus, everyone on the set is cool so I have a good time,” he added.
DeCenzo can be found in all current seasons of the cult hit show whose character ends up joining Miyagi-Do Karate, becoming the third student of the new generation of the Karate Dojo founded by Mr. Miyagi in the original “The Karate Kid” film. “Demetri is 50 percent me, I see a lot of myself in him,” he said. “Demetri is always telling jokes and he is the sarcastic one, so it’s a lot of fun to be the comic relief. I like to tell jokes and not take things seriously.”
As fans will know, the series “Cobra Kai” is a continuation story of the original and iconic “The Karate Kid” media franchise, which first made its debut back in 1984.
Decenzo returns for Season 4 as fan-favorite and beloved character Demetri, a classmate and friend to central character Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) who is often described as nerdy and a bit of a social outcast.
Recently, “Cobra Kai” has made an impact in the entertainment industry being nominated for various Emmy Awards including “Outstanding Comedy Series,” a Screen Actors Guild Award, three MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, among others, and is currently up for three different People’s Choice Awards for The Show of 2021, The Drama Show of 2021 and The Bingeworthy Show of 2021.
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “It’s great for actors, and it’s great for people that love making movies and TV shows, there so many different opportunities now that different streaming services are out there. People are constantly making new TV shows and movies, so it’s great. It has been a crazy ride being in the digital age of media but it’s awesome.”
DeCenzo has also starred and been a regular actor on other productions including Disney’s “Coop and Cami Ask the World,” Nickelodeon’s “100 Things to Do Before High School,” the film “37: A Final Promise,” and Disney’s”Liv and Maddie,” among others.
Acting was always in Gianni’s bloodline as his parents first met in an acting class. DeCenzo found a lot of commercial success as a young man at the age of eight doing multiple car commercials to famous Subway sandwich spots.
He shot short films to build up his resume and his experience on set, studied acting at Warner Laughlin Studios, and quickly realized acting was a career he would be fully invested in.
On his daily motivations as an actor, he said, “I honestly love doing this, and I couldn’t see myself doing any other job. I like getting out there and portraying characters. My parents are a huge help and they really help me in this crazy industry that I work in since they are actors themselves. They have been a huge inspiration to me. I just love doing this. I wouldn’t change my childhood for the world”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Don’t give up, even though it might sound cliche. In this business, it can take years before you can get a part in something but if it’s what you love just keep doing it and stick with it.”
He acknowledged that the short film he did titled “Fartcopter” was a career-defining moment for him. “It’s a short I did for Adult Swim and I use a helicopter that makes fart noises to kill my family. I don’t know if that defined me necessarily but that was definitely a highlight in my career. It showed me that acting is pretty fun and I want to keep doing it,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he remarked, “New Discoveries.”
If he were to have any superpower he revealed that it would be “teleportation.” “I just sat through an hour of traffic so if I could teleport that wouldn’t be an issue. I would also save on gas, which is skyrocketing, and I could go to Paris for a week that would be nice,” he said.
In January of 2022, DeCenzo was featured in “The Man Cave Chronicles” podcast, where he was interviewed by Elias Giannakopoulos.
DeCenzo defined the word success as being “happy in what he is doing.” “Then, I think I am successful,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how big or small it can be. All I want to do is enjoy my life and be happy.”
For his fans, he concluded, “Thank you so much for sticking with me on this crazy ride. It has been awesome to get to know everyone, I read my comments on Instagram and I respond to DMs. It’s a really awesome fanbase and I couldn’t do it without you guys. I am just glad that you like what I do.”
To learn more about Gianni DeCenzo, check out his IMDb page and follow him on Instagram.
