Elisabeth Shue admitted that she never thought about reprising her role in "The Karate Kid" movies when "Cobra Kai" went out. It was not until she spoke with Dan Trachtenberg, who told her about the nostalgic importance of bringing back Ali.

The 57-year old recalled her conversation with Trachtenberg in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. She said he approached her on the first day of filming "The Boys," where she plays Madelyn Stillwell and asked if she was doing "Cobra Kai."

"I was like, 'What? I don't know... Do you think that's a good idea?' He goes, 'Is that a good idea? You have to be on Cobra Kai!' I said, 'Why, why do you care so much?' He said, 'You have no idea how important 'The Karate Kid' is in my life," Shue said.

"He told me what a great movie it is and how much he loved Cobra Kai, and that it would just be devastating — 'devastating,' he kept saying — for the fans and for the memory of 'The Karate Kid' if I wasn't [on the show]," she added.

Shue thought it was "very sweet" of Trachtenberg to say those words. She also admitted that he made her think about appearing in "Cobra Kai."

Suffice to say, he convinced her to be a part of the show and the next thing she knew, she had sat down to talk about her appearance in season 3 with the show's producers and writers.

"They really wanted to wait and have Ali come back this season, primarily I guess because it's a reunion season. I said, 'I'll do whatever you need," she said as she revealed that she had to keep her cameo a secret for over a year after she filmed her scenes in 2019.

Spoiler alert. Elisabeth Shue is back as Ali with an i. Here’s a short clip from #cobrakai so watch all of season 3. #elisabethshue #karatekid pic.twitter.com/SmXD27ixwC

— Team Elisabeth Shue (@TeamShue) January 1, 2021

Shue reprised Ali in two episodes in "Cobra Cai" Season 3 and her surprise cameo was definitely a trip back memory lane for fans of "The Karate Kid." Even in those brief appearances, Ali made a big impact on the show when she put an end to Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny's (William Zabka) decades-old rivalry.

She said she gives the credit to the producer-writers, Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg, for finding a way to bring Ali back in an impactful way. She recalled that Ali was "at the center of that rivalry" in "The Karate Kid" and so having to say goodbye to Daniel and Johnny was a good way to end their feud. Shue also did not rule out another appearance in "Cobra Kai" after season 3.

Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Shue in 2005. Reuters