Xolo Maridueña Embarks on a Soul-Searching Journey in NYC
Xolo Maridueña, best known for his role as Miguel in Cobra Kai , is stepping into a new phase of life—one that doesn’t involve karate, superhero suits, or Hollywood sets. Instead, he’s taking a rare break to focus on something entirely different: himself. After years of non-stop work, the 23-year-old actor has decided to hit pause and spend six months in New York City, soaking in the experiences, culture, and self-discovery that come with a much-needed gap year.
For the first time in a decade, Xolo finds himself with actual free time, a concept that feels almost foreign to him. Since his early teen years, he’s been working consistently, jumping from one role to the next. But now, with Cobra Kai wrapping up its final season and uncertainty around the future of Blue Beetle , he’s embracing a slower pace. “I have six months off for the first time in 10 years,” he shares. “Now I’m asking myself, ‘Who am I outside of work?’”
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Settling into Brooklyn, Xolo shares an apartment with his longtime friends and Cobra Kai co-stars, Jacob Bertrand and Peyton List. “It’s like Friends ,” he jokes, referring to the classic sitcom. But beyond just having a built-in support system, he’s immersing himself in everything NYC has to offer—from grabbing late-night deli sandwiches to discovering underground house music spots. He even admits that despite his rising fame, he enjoys relative anonymity in the city. “I don’t really get recognized like that,” he says with a smile.
Reflecting on his career, Xolo acknowledges that Hollywood hasn’t always been predictable. In 2021, he landed what many assumed would be a career-defining role as DC’s Blue Beetle . However, the film’s momentum was stalled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, limiting its promotional reach. Despite this, he remains optimistic, cherishing the impact the film had on Latino representation in superhero cinema. “I watched the movie with kids who looked like me, and some of them cried because they hadn’t seen themselves in a role like that,” he recalls.
With his future wide open, Xolo is considering a return to theater, inspired by watching fellow Netflix stars take on Broadway. He’s also exploring different film projects, including a historical drama Killing Castro alongside Al Pacino. Yet, for now, he’s content letting life unfold organically. “I feel like a jellyfish,” he says. “I’m ready for the wave to take me wherever.”
As he embraces this period of self-exploration, one thing is clear—Xolo Maridueña is more than just Cobra Kai’s Miguel or Blue Beetle’s Jaime Reyes. He’s a young artist, a dreamer, and, for now, just another New Yorker figuring things out.
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