Becoming a famous Hollywood actor is a dream shared by many. However, the infamously cutthroat and competitive entertainment industry allows very few that pursue acting to become successful. Only two percent of aspiring actors “make it,” meaning they earn a sufficient, liveable salary. Fortunately, CHS alumni Jacob Bertrand beat the odds and belongs to this lucky group.

Bertrand, who graduated with the class of 2018, spent his days at CHS competing with the boys’ soccer and track and field teams. In addition to sports, his after-school time was dedicated towards filming his various acting projects. This experience extends to long before high school, as Bertrand has been professionally acting since childhood. In the early stages of his career, Bertrand acted in several Nickelodeon shows. He voiced the animated character, Gil, in “Bubble Guppies,” and was a supporting character in “Marvin Marvin.” In 2016, Bertrand starred as Kirby Buckets in the Disney Channel series “Kirby Buckets”. However, he more recently became a popular figure following his breakout role in Netflix’s hit series “Cobra Kai.”

“Cobra Kai” is an extension of the beloved 1980’s movie series, “The Karate Kid.” The television series focuses on the movie’s protagonist, Johnny Lawerence, and his decision to reopen the old Cobra Kai dojo to teach a new generation the art of karate. The dojo attracts bullied, ostracized teenagers, one of which is Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz, played by Bertrand. Hawk, nicknamed after his eccentric mohawk, is a character adored by many fans of the show.

Cobra Kai’s first and second seasons debuted on YouTube Red, but was picked up by Netflix for its third and fourth seasons. Season three, which debuted on January 1, has already become a tremendous success. Following the new season’s debut, the series became the top show on Netflix’s trending list in 28 countries, earning 78 million viewers worldwide. Bertrand is pleasantly surprised by the show’s popularity.

“…when it [“Cobra Kai”] came to Netflix I think everyone thought it was going to do well, but I don’t know if anyone thought it would blow up the way it did,” Bertrand said in a Rain Magazine interview. “So, I’m beyond grateful to be a part of the Cobra Kai universe.”

As a result of the series’ success, many have begun to admire Bertrand’s talent. His social media has reached its all-time high, with his verified Instagram and TikTok accounts immersing over 1.4 million followers each. Bertrand’s dedicated fans have swarmed the popular TikTok hashtags #jacobbertrand and #cobrakai, posting thousands of videos expressing their love for both his character and himself.

Though Bertrand has been an actor for many years, his career appears to just be getting started, and will likely continue to flourish in the future. In addition to the fourth season of “Cobra Kai,” he will soon appear in the upcoming sci-fi podcast “Black Box,” and short-film “Oh, mighty Ocean!,” which is based on an idea of his from high school. In the future, Bertrand would like to continue to expand his expertise as an actor through a diverse range of roles.

“I’m always open to and looking for roles that are different than the ones I’ve done,” Bertrand said to Rain Magazine. “I’m stoked for the future and being on Netflix has definitely opened up a lot of doors. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Whether because of “Cobra Kai” or a new project, expect to continue to see Bertrand’s talent on television for years to come.