The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Xolo Maridueña - “Cobra Kai” and “Blue Beetle”

Episode Date: September 26, 2022

Xolo Maridueña talks about staying “normal” despite his rise to fame, learning to fight for “Cobra Kai,” and being chosen as DC’s Blue Beetle without any audition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Please welcome, Sholoto the show. Thank you, thank you for having me. It's so good to have you here. You are experiencing a trajectory that few people have ever experienced. Obviously, people love you on Kobakai. You know, every outlet from e-news all the way through to like every publication online is just like, you are the it guy. I think I read somewhere somewhere they said you are the internet's boyfriend. The internet's boyfriend okay that's I haven't heard that one

before. I should have heard it either I think my mom maybe wrote that maybe she was I think maybe she was putting in a good word for me but but you really are having a great one? Congratulations I mean Coburca what is it season 5? Yeah yeah I hope. I'm a. thi. It seems like you will. Five seasons. It seems like you will. To a very popular show. I've always wondered this, you know, because the show is so popular. I grew up watching the Karate Kid, right? And then I see this show, and then you're on it. And I'm like, you weren't even alive when the Karate Kid came out. I was barely alive when the Jayden Smith one came out. I, I, I, I th, I th, I th, I th, I was th, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely, I was barely the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th, I, I, I, I, I, I th. I th. I, I, it's pivotal. Okay, okay, yeah, I feel like everyone has seen it, right?

I, I, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's part of the law, it's, you know, it, it, it's, you know, it's, it's, uh, it's, uh, it went around the world. It's like they got their own Marvel Cinematic Universe. They're bringing people from the past. Yeah, they're... It does feel like that. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about the show itself. You know, you're learning martial arts and everything. You're learning your character. Do you actually learn?

Because I like, I like how people get to learn the stuff onthink if I were to be in a fight in real life I'd be like can you throw it with the other hand I'd only know how to block it I've practiced this way. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. If there was a camera I'd beat you up right now. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. But you know I was very fortunate that I couldn't do a push-up and they were like this guy's hilarious this guy's this guy's our guy and I was like what right his timing is crazy but now you've gotten better I'm assuming but now I can do a pushup yes you know you've you've had a really interesting journey I mean you start acting at the the show is beloved you are also somebody who people are getting to know you you've you've had a really interesting journey I mean you started acting at the age of 10 I believe and I tell you they tell

Like how are you normal? I mean I know I know you thrown? I mean I think you know, I met your mom? I'm not well I'm thea. I mean, I thrown. I'm not thrown. I tho you tho you tho you tho you tho's tho's that's the that. that. they. that. that. that that they. I'm not. I'm not that that th th th they. I'm th th th th th that they. th th th th th th th they. they. they. the the the they. they. they. they. they. they. the the they. they. the they. the the th th the the th th th the th th th th the th th th thin. thin. thin. thin. thin. th thin. the. the. t te. te. te. te. te. te. tell. tell. te. tell. tell. the the the you're just like coming in. She's like, she's like, you know, I think, I mean, I went to public school most of my life. I like, I, even in high school, I was, I kept along with the curriculum. I was in a regular high school. And my, my core group of friends are the friends, I've the friends that I've had for the longest th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I've, th. I've, th. I've, I've, I've, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I've, I've, I've, I'm, I'm, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I, I, I, I, I, th.............................. th. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I, I, I th. the longest time. I think that's the secret. And I was also really blessed that Cobra Kai blew up over the pandemic. So I wasn't I wasn't out and about there wasn't like walking around with you know the stranger things kids like oh I don't take pictures it was it was I was at home like oh man going to Trader Joe's with my mask on like guys. Do you know? Do you know nobody? Nobody? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh.

It's been so cool to see your rise because, I mean, obviously, CobraKa's Gate, but now, I mean, to be a superhero. This is almost everyone's dream. You know, DC tapped you as the blue beetle, which is historic. And what's also impressive is that you didn't ask you to audition for the role. No I think I you know I was very fortunate I had met the director on Helman Wasoto who's you know I give him credit for all of this because he really believed in me and I had met him at Sundance a few years prior to the movie and I guess I left some what of an impression and he had watched the show and he was

like I think this is perfect. And obviously we had conversations. It wasn't like, I got a call like, you got it, you're the guy. And I was like, yeah, that would be great. You are the blue beetle. I'm like, okay, a package gets sent to with the scare. No, no, no, no. But we had conversations about it. And I think we were really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. That, that, that, that. Yeah, that, that. Yeah, that. Yeah, that. Yeah, that. Yeah, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. that, that. that. that, that. that, that. that, that, that, that, that, that would would would. that would would, that would. that would would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that would, that him, but to the greater community, the greater, you know, Brown community? Yeah, the Latino community?

Yeah, no. And we're on the same page, so we're like, let's do it. It means so much to community. It also means so much to see somebody as young as you in an industry that for so long was defined in a certain way, redefining what that industry is. You know, I wonder even beyond how people perceive you, how do you process the world that you're in, you know, with social media, with all these things? Because the previous generation of actors and celebrities didn't have to deal with that. Do you ever find that there's a lot of pressure to be in two worlds? You can't just focus on what you do, you have to focus on how people see you online, or is that just part of your life? Yes, I think it definitely is something to think about, but also I like to have fun. I definitely am a big proponent of like, you can't take yourself too seriously.

Like I would love to do vogue and stuff like that, but also I pull out my buttcheeks all teaks all the time. I'm like I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I like, I like, I that, I th. I th. I th. I like, I, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I tot, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I 21 year old and my family was super, like they are also always like, just you're also a kid. Like you can be a kid and that's okay. And obviously there's a sense of professionalism that comes with being in this industry. But that all kind of came naturally working around adults. And the first show that I ever worked on for a couple years was the show called Parent that, and I was around only adults.

So it was kind of odd being around like, Ray Romano or these guys. And I was just like, yeah, we're having regular conversations. These are my co-workers. And then I would go back to school, like, nobody would be it. Nobody, as a middle schooler watched parenthood. They were like, so they were like, my mom's cry to you, but I don't know, so I was, you know, with the social media, I've been able to kind of just do me. I like that.

I think that's a great motto for life. It's like, you know, do what you do, work really hard, but always remember to pull your butt cheeks out. Always remember to pull your butt.. And the the the the the the the the the the the their tho. And tho. And tho. And tho. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I'm. And I'm. And I'm. I'm. I'm th. I. And I'm to. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'll. I'll. I's, I's, I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm. I'm like, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. And you. Thank you. Show up my to one, everybody. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes any time on Paramount Plus. This has been a comedy central podcast.