Cobra Kai – Jeff Kay Cobra Kai title card: Who was Jeff Kay and what happened?
Cobra Kai season five has rocketed to the top of Netflix’s most-watched shows this week as the good vs evil fight for the California Valley got more intense and bloody than ever.
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But across the show’s 10-episode season, the team decided to take a moment and dedicate one of their instalments to a fallen member of the team.
Jeff Kay was commemorated at the end of episode three’s ‘Playing With Fire’, with the episode dedicated to his memory.
But who is Jeff Kay? Here’s what you need to know about the beloved cast member.
Jeff Kay, born April 1965, died of a heart attack on 17 October 2021, while Cobra Kai was filming its fifth season.
He was an assistant director and production manager, who has previously worked on shows including Drop Dead Diva, Rizzoli and Isles and American Housewife.
He is credited on IMDb and the Cobra Kai episode ‘Playing With Fire’ as a first assistant director.
Following his death last year, American Housewife actor Diedrich Bader was one of the first to post a dedication on Twitter, writing: “My friend Jeff Kay the longtime AD on @AmericanWifeABC died today. He was a beautiful joyful ebullient ray of light and brought nothing but joy to every second and the world is a dimmer place without him & everyone who ever had the chance to know him is better off bc [because] of it. RIP.”
Actor Jason Dolley, another member of the American Housewife gang, responded to Bader’s Tweet by writing: “I am so very sorry to hear this. Jeff was such a kind and welcoming presence. I was only on set with him a handful of times, but I remember him so fondly. Sorry for your loss, Diedrich.”
Two things about TV production:
1) The crew is family. You work so hard, so long, you become extremely close.
2) The 1st AD runs the set and is in charge of everything. No 1st AD … no show.
Jeff Kay was one of the best 1st ADs in the biz.
Jeff Kay was family. #RIPJeffKay pic.twitter.com/P09ISbakSU
— Nicolas Falacci (@NickFalacci) October 17, 2021
Robert Phillips, who worked on Cobra Kai, remembered him as well, noting: “I just got to know Jeff over this past month in Atlanta. He didn’t know me, but took his time to talk to me about this industry. He told me about his bagel shop he [used] to own, how he got in the film industry and his love for golf. Wish I knew him like everyone else did. RIP.”
While Nicolas Falacci, co-creator of Numb3rs, another of Kay’s projects, called him ‘family’ in a heartfelt shared tribute to his former colleague.
He wrote: “Two things about TV production:
“1) The crew is family. You work so hard, so long, you become extremely close.
“2) The 1st AD runs the set and is in charge of everything. No 1st AD… no show.
“Jeff Kay was one of the best 1st ADs in the biz. Jeff Kay was family.”
Clearly, the Cobra Kai team feels the same way, and have therefore cemented him as part of their history forever.
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