Jeff Kaplan Shines in ‘Cobra Kai’ Role
Jeff Kaplan magnified his childhood penchant for music and acting into Atlanta based platforms. Here he talks about the importance of family support and the benefits of sobriety.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Local actor and musician Jeff Kaplan admires Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” But Kaplan grew up far from Gotham, in Atlanta, with family Shabbat dinners, High Holy Days at Ahavath Achim, basketball at the MJCCA and Camp Barney Medintz. Kaplan, who recently landed the role of Cruz in the popular series “Cobra Kai,” said, “I’ve always had a bent for entertainment, from impromptu acting to lead roles at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy and Hannukah plays at the ‘J.’ For high school, I was drawn to the North Springs magnet program for the arts. Instead of traditional college, I immersed myself in photography, filmmaking, screenplay writing … all paths led me to acting and music.”
Early on, Kaplan produced his own music videos on YouTube, performed in clubs and entered film competitions. Just out of North Springs, he made a short film called “Snooze,” which won Best Picture at the International Campus Film Festival. Cruz, the character he plays on “Cobra Kai” — a continuation of “The Karate Kid” — “is an interesting character, a lost soul who ignored his God-given gifts and fed on others,” Kaplan says. “I was the only character to fight Robby, Johnny (William Zabka) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio).”
Kaplan, who wears many hats — from producer and musician to “juicer” — says that he’s always been an actor at his core. “I enjoy the creativity of many art forms, but it all keeps coming back to acting. My intention is to create music that inspires people to celebrate who they are, excuse their flaws and focus on their potential. My music and acting have become one.”
Kaplan’s music has a wide-ranging sound, which perhaps stems from theatrical storytelling. Lately he has focused on pop, punk/rock and trap music. His songs have aspirational messages, while some embellish living on the wild side and others tap into universal emotions. Kaplan was greatly influenced by the Jay-Z and Lincoln Park album “Numb/Encore.” He is also inspired by Queen, Blink 182, Eminem and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Georgia may not be able to compete with LA or NYC as a place to launch your career, but Kaplan chooses Atlanta for its independent art community, vibrant Jewish life and would only move if the work required it. “The film business here is exploding, and I plan to grow with it,” he said. “I’ve appeared on ‘Meet the Browns’ for Tyler Perry Studios and my agent is sending me on auditions for all sorts of films.”
Kaplan credits family support for his success, especially his folks, who came to some “iffy” clubs to watch him perform and welcomed all sorts of entertainment people to their Shabbat table. “There are no bigger fans in the world than my parents,” Kaplan says. “We all understand that my career path is anything but traditional for a good Jewish boy, and it has meant so much that they are in my corner. I wish every son and daughter could feel this type of support,” he said.
His father, Mark, commented on how proud he was that Jeff overcame his obstacles. “Karen and I recognized Jeffrey’s intense love for acting and music early on,” he later said. “While that path often stretched our comfort zone, we saw how committed he was to achieving his dreams. Jeffrey is all in, and we couldn’t be prouder.”
“I over-indulged in high school, but I rarely ever stopped,” Kaplan recalled. “[Substance use] is celebrated and even encouraged in the entertainment space, so it never seemed out of the ordinary or dangerous. With more maturity, I’ve discovered that this path is an absolute ‘no-win’ situation. With that awareness, my eyes were opened to the little-known fact that so many successful people in the entertainment space are clearheaded and sober. That old image of a continuous afterparty is a fantasy now. Success in this industry requires focus. That led to my decision to live a sober life. My creativity has never been higher and my life will be longer.”
Looking toward the future, Kaplan says, “It’s taken a while to understand how things work in the entertainment space. Now I know why this is such a ‘road less traveled.’ Still, for me, there’s no other way to go. I truly believe my best work is right around the corner.”
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