COVER STORY

Mary ouserM

TURNING HER CHILDHOOD HOBBY INTO A CAREER

BY ALEXANDRA ANASTASIO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIZIANO LUGLI MAKEUP BY COURTNEY HART FOR CLOUTIER REMIX HAIR BY MICHAEL DUENAS USING ALOXXI @ TMG-LA STYLING BY MONTY JACKSON LOCATION: ROB'S GARAGE

Dress: Alexia Maria Heels: Stuart Weitzman Necklace: APM Monaco

hirty-six years ago one of the most beloved movies of all times made its mark on audiences everywhere. Now, years later, the magic of “The Karate Kid” films continues with the drama series, "Cobra Kai,” and a new era of fans are falling in love all over again.

Actress Mary Mouser, known for her work on TV shows such as “Body of Proof,” “Scandal,” and “CSI,” portrays Samantha, the daughter of Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio). In a twist of fate, Samantha is now reliving her dad’s rivalry with the Cobra Kai dojo.

Despite the fact that Mary, an Arkansas native, is kicking ass on screen, once the cameras stop rolling, she and her fellow “Cobra Kai” actors truly enjoy spending time with one another.

“Over the last couple of years, we really developed an intense friendship having all these fight scenes with each other,” Mary explains. “We are a very tight-knit group; for me, this has been the show of a lifetime.”

Making the transition from child star to adult actress, Mary has built an impressive resume along the way. In addition to her career on-screen, she’s also pursuing a college degree in deaf culture and American Sign Language. She describes herself as someone who likes having things planned out, but admits once acting took center stage she had to readjust the expectations she placed on herself.

“I’m on the slow track, which has been an adjustment, but I’m pursuing college because I enjoy it, and at this point I have something I really want to learn about,” says Mary.

Dedicated to the things she’s passionate about, the talented actress gave us an exclusive look into the world of “Cobra Kai” (the third season was just released on January 1st on Netflix!), as well as revealed what life has been like living with Type 1 diabetes and how she’s using her platform to raise and spread awareness. When you auditioned for “Cobra Kai,” you had never watched any of “The Karate Kid” films. What did you think once you did? I think waiting was cool because when I did watch them, not only was I seeing this childhood and lifelong favorite of so many people—my boyfriend especially—I was seeing this film everyone loves and was also getting to see it through a different lens. The whole time my boyfriend was like, 'That’s your dad now, that’s your family,' and I was thinking to myself, ‘Yeah, this is the idea of watching family movies. These are like her family stories, and I became completely obsessed.

I love when I come home from a day on set filming in, say, the replication of Miyagi’s house, and then sit down and watch the scene where Daniel’s blowing out his candles in Miyagi’s house. I totally get why the mania for it has lasted so long and now count myself as a fan girl. I joined the party late, but I’m a strong supporter.

What is it about “Cobra Kai” that has fans hooked? Once I sat down and watched the movies, there was such magic and a very real but un-realness to it that made me feel anything was possible. I think the writers and creators have done such a great job bringing that to this show for the new audience era.

My favorite aspect about the show is how there are so many different perspectives. There are different characters and stories, so you can be watching the same show and have a completely opposite opinion of who the ultimate villain is, who the real good guy is, and why you identify with Hawk, or Moon, or whoever it is. That’s something I look for in a show—caring about the characters like they’re real people. The creators and my co-workers/cast do a great job of creating individual people you want to root for even when you don’t know why you want to root for them.

What do you love about “Cobra Kai”? I think it’s cool how the changing of times has allowed for female karate kids to step in. Getting to bring that to this generation has been fun and also a challenge because I was someone who had never worked out before. Now, taking on the role of being the Karate Kid’s daughter, expected to know what eight years of karate looks like, I take a lot of pride in that.

How would you describe Samantha? For some people she is the villain and that’s kind of cool because I’ve never been the villain before, but I don’t see it that way. I see Samantha as somebody who, like the rest of us, doesn’t know what the end of the path looks like but she’s struggling to get to that thing, whether it's romantically, in her relationship with her dad, or her relationship with karate.

“Cobra Kai” differs from “The Karate Kid” films but stays true to confronting important issues. What are some of your favorite life lessons the show has tackled? [One is] the moment on the beach with Samantha and Miguel, where he sees her with Robby and gets really jealous. He’s drunk and tries to push Robby, but Samantha steps in the way and basically gets clotheslined. When I read that, I got nervous and thought this sounded a bit like an after-school [special], like are we going to talk about this for real—being hit by a guy? They made it very clear it was a completely wrong place-wrong time sort of situation, but it was still important to me to be honest on how that would make me feel.

Shirt, shorts, and belt: Emporio Armani Jewelry: APM Monaco Heels: Stuart Weitzman

Outside of my own character, I really love the arc of Hawk. It’s an important story that this show does such a great job of telling. It’s not just about bullying or what that looks like, but understanding how somebody becomes a bully. If we can understand the makings of one, we can hopefully un-make the bully and progress in the other direction.

Season two ended with a dangerous brawl. What are the ramifications for these characters going into season three? Every single person is hanging in their own balance—or lack of balance. There’s physical recovery for a lot of the characters, even Samantha didn’t come out of the fight unscathed. It was a big brawl, and in terms of Samantha—as a girl in a big fight—that has a different connotation to it than if she was a boy.

There’s levels of confusion internally, pain, pride, and all of these different things that the characters are left trying to cope with and to find a new path forward. [There will be] a whole lot of recovery in all sorts of ways and so many cool aspects that everybody will get to tap in to. I think there is something for everybody, and through the healing process you’ll probably find who your person is.

Many fans might not know that you’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for almost 12 years. How do you stay on top of your health, especially working long hours on set? It seems like I should have it all figured out but the body is constantly aging and changing, and diabetes is constantly changing. I was diagnosed at 13 years old, which is a very different body composition than age 23 and 24, so it’s been a lot of learning.

With this show, specifically, there is a lot of physical activity that involves both adrenaline, which makes my blood sugar go up, and exertion of my energy, which makes it go down, so there’s been a lot of juggling. The best thing I’ve learned is there is no such thing as a bad day. I take my health and my diabetes very serious; I want to have it work with me and for me. It’s my top priority because I can’t do my job if I’m not in a good physical state.

The funniest aspect of figuring out diabetes and acting is when I’m wearing my insulin pump and figuring out how to hide it—that’s always a fun game. Where are we going to creatively put this so I can still do whatever physical activity I need to do? I have such great relationships with our crew that if I feel myself going low or high, I can look across the way and find one of our amazing production assistants or assistant directors and ask someone to bring my backpack and they know what that means.

Dress: Elisabetta Franchi What message do you want to share with other young people living with Type 1 diabetes? The most up-in-the-air thing for me when I was diagnosed was, 'What now?' So I definitely want to say there are so many people who are successful in their fields and have wonderful, full, long, and happy lives and also have Type 1 diabetes; it’s just another aspect of their personality.

There are days when I just don’t want to have diabetes. Obviously, it doesn’t work that way; I still have it, and I still have to do all the things I’m supposed to, but I give myself a little mental vacation. Diabetes is not easy, but it’s doable and has taught me a lot about myself.

From a professional standpoint, what does your future look like? When I picture my future, I just hope I’m old and gray and struggling to get from the makeup trailer to set and everybody is just ushering me along…that’s my goal!

MissMaryMMouser

ard work and a determination to chase a dream run in Jaime Xie’s blood. A first-generation Asian-American, Jaime is pursuing a career that was unfamiliar to her parents. Although they envisioned a somewhat different path for their daughter, Jaime says they just want her to be happy and follow a career path she’s passionate about. H While it took some convincing, her parents’ support makes it possible for the fashion influencer and digital content creator to continue her pursuit of making a mark in the world of luxury, high-end fashion. “It was extremely challenging in the beginning to get my parents on board when it came to my fashion career as neither of them used social media and had no idea how Instagram worked,” explains Jaime. “Being Chinese, my mother and father grew up with the notion that hard work equals success.” One glance at this young entrepreneur’s Instagram page will leave any fashionista obsessing over an impressive wardrobe that needs no captions. Add in a love of shoes and handbags, especially the minis, and you can understand why she fell in love with fashion in the first place. Surprisingly, though, it was not her first choice for a career. Jaime is an accomplished equestrian, and as a young girl had dreams of competing in the Olympics. Her commitment to riding meant trading in the experiences kids her age got to have in order to travel the world and compete against some of the best equestrians. It’s an experience Jaime says she doesn’t regret. “Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing,” she says. These days, the former champion has traded in her riding apparel for a completely different look. And although she’s shifted her career goals, Jaime’s determination and competitive nature remain strong. BELLA sat down to chat with Jaime about her love of luxury fashion, her days of competitive horseback riding, her new show coming out on Netflix, and what she’s looking forward to in 2021. As a former competitive equestrian you spent many years dedicated to the sport. What did you love most about it? I loved everything about it! The connection you share with your horse is so special. I loved the exhilaration from jumping and navigating my horse through a course. I’m very competitive by nature; I loved being challenged by my peers and vying for that number one spot.

What led to your decision to retire from the sport? When I decide to pursue something I fully commit and will do whatever it takes by dedicating all of my time and energy. As I got older, other things became a priority, and in order for me to be the best I could, I had to shift my focus and energy.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time for competitive riding anymore as I’ve decided to dedicate my attention to my career in fashion. I still try to make time whenever I have a break from traveling, but it’s a demanding sport that requires time and dedication.

Do you still ride for fun? Yes, whenever time allows. Horses and riding will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a big part of my life and something I truly enjoyed and cherished.

When did you fall in love with fashion? I’ve loved fashion for as long as I can remember. I would play dress-up in my mother’s closet ever since I was a little girl. She believed I got my fashion sense from my grandfather as he was a very successful men’s suit designer in Taiwan. He’s also the only person in my family who loved fashion as much as I do. It’s a shame I only got to meet him through my mom’s recollections and stories.

Your Instagram showcases a myriad of looks. Do you have a specific style, or are you more of a chameleon when it comes to fashion? I am definitely more of a chameleon—I truly wear everything and anything that makes me feel good. I can be feminine and flirty one day and dark and edgy the next. It really depends on my mood that day.

Being a part of the fashion world includes attending amazing shows, but in the beginning you had to get creative in order to secure invites. Do you think persistence, along with creativity, are what opened those doors for you? Because of my father’s success [her father is cybersecurity expert Ken Xie, who has built three cybersecurity companies], people automatically assume that things come easy for me, but I still have to hustle and put in the time and effort like everybody else.

While he may be well-known and successful in the tech world, the fashion industry has no idea who my father is. Thus, I have to work hard to prove myself without using my family name and start from square one like everybody else. Persistence is what opened the door, but what cemented my place in the fashion world is my creativity and authenticity.

Would you say competing at a young age contributed to your strong work ethic? Growing up, I spent a lot of time surrounded by people who were older and wiser. Both of my parents are immigrants from Asia and they instilled in me the value of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. I think traveling and competing at a young age allowed me to mature faster than my peers, and it also helped me understand the amount of time and effort that goes into achieving my goals.

As an influencer, companies want you to promote their products. When it comes to promotions, what do you look for in a brand? I think everyone is an influencer these days. Whether you are Bella Hadid, Jennifer Aniston, or Christian Rinaldo, anyone with the power to inspire and influence holds the responsibility to send a message.

As a fashion entrepreneur, I am fortunate to have the audience and platform that I have, and I am grateful for everyone who supports me. Therefore, I only partner with brands I feel align with my own identity and story. If it’s not something I can see myself wearing or using, how can I promote it to my audience? People can tell if someone is promoting a product just for money, or if it truly aligns with who they are as an individual. Authenticity is something consumers look for these days, and it is extremely important to me so I stand by that in all I do.

Which brands have you worked with, and what part of the collaboration process do you most enjoy? I’ve worked with Valentino, Tiffany & Co., Piaget, Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, Luisaviaroma, Sephora, and Jimmy Choo, to name a few. Brand trips and experiences are my favorite ways to collaborate because I get to experience new cultures and meet different people that I otherwise wouldn’t.

You have a new show coming out this month on Netflix. Can you tell us about it? “Bling Empire” is an unscripted show with an allAsian cast. Cameras follow the lives of myself and other cast members as we navigate life in Los Angeles.

To date, what has been your biggest career highlight? My biggest career highlight would probably be shooting Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam in Capri with Luisaviaroma.

In thinking career longterm, what are some of the entrepreneurial goals you’ve set for yourself? Both of my parents are successful investors and business people, and I want to combine their strengths with my own. They have the Top and shorts: Dennis Basso ability to spot companies with potential from the get-go, such as what my father did in the early days of Zoom. I’m hoping to do the same thing with fashion companies. I also want to channel my creative energy into developing a sunglass line that will truly be mine. As a new year begins, what are you most looking forward to? I hope to continue working with my favorite brands, as well as continue developing my sunglass line. The one thing I miss the most is Europe and traveling in general. As soon as the global situation improves, you’ll be able to find me in Paris and the rest of my favorite cities.

Dress: Marc Bouwer Earrings: Donna Moda, Westwood, NJ