Actor Robert Garrison who played Tommy in 'Karate Kid' dies at age 59
Actor Robert Garrison, who played the role of Tommy in 1984's cult classic 'Karate Kid' and its sequel has died at the age of 59. The actor died on Friday morning in a hospital in West Virginia. His death was not sudden as the actor was hospitalized for over a month. A report in TMZ quoted the actor's sister-in-law, Linda, stating that Garrison's organs shut down because of issues with his kidneys and lungs. The family is currently organizing a funeral for him.
Garrison began his career in the '70s and landed his first big role in 1984 karate movie starring Ralph Macchio. He not only played the part in 'Karate Kid' and 'Karate Kid II' but also returned to play the role in 'Cobra Kai' in which his dialogue "Get him a body bag! Yeah!" became very popular. He also played minor roles in 'MacGyver', 'Columbo' and 'Coach'. Before 'Cobra Kai' the actor had taken a break from the entertainment industry before playing the role that put him in the spotlight.
Before his cameo in YouTube's 'Cobra Kai', Garrison was last seen in 2011 film 'The Pledge'.
Speaking about how his performance in the YouTube version was received, the actor had tweeted, "Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments on my appearance in COBRA KAI. Makes me feel great. Had a wonderful time doing it."
Garrison is survived by his brother Patrick and sister-in-law Linda.