Rayna Vallandingham
Rayna Vallandingham | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 18, 2003 Encinitas, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
Rayna Vallandingham (born January 18, 2003) is an American martial artist, actress, and social media influencer. She is best known for her role as Zara Malik in the sixth season of the Netflix series Cobra Kai. Vallandingham is set to appear in the Street Fighter reboot film as Juli.
Early life
Vallandingham was born to a mother of Indian origin and a father of Dutch origin.[1]
Martial arts career
Vallandingham began practicing taekwondo at the age of 2, encouraged by her grandfather.
Vallandingham won her first world championship title in taekwondo at the age of 8 at the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) World Championships held in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2011. She had earned her first black belt two years earlier, at the age of 6, and went on to win multiple world titles in traditional forms, weapons, sparring, and creative weapons categories.
Over her career, Vallandingham has earned 13 American Taekwondo Association titles across traditional combat and weapons forms, including the bo staff and nunchaku.
Acting career
Early career
After winning the XMA Forms world championships, Vallandingham moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. At the age of 10, she made her film debut in Underdog Kids as Leticia Hernandez, directed by six-time taekwondo black belt and actor Phillip Rhee.[2][3] The film was released on July 7, 2015.[4] Vallandingham appeared in the music videos for "Youth" (2018) by Shawn Mendes featuring Khalid, and "Baby Don't Hurt Me" (2023) by David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie and Coi Leray.[5]
Cobra Kai
In 2024, Vallandingham made her television debut in Netflix's martial arts series Cobra Kai.[6][7] She plays a supporting antagonist in the final season, portraying Zara Malik, a social media influencer and skilled martial artist who serves as co-captain of the Iron Dragons dojo, appearing alongside Lewis Tan as Sensei Wolf and Patrick Luwis as Axel Kovačević.[8] The Iron Dragons were introduced during the Sekai Taikai tournament as the defending champions and an undefeated rival team.[9] In Part 3 of Season 6, Vallandingham reprised her role as Zara Malik, with the character suffering her first defeat—against Tory Nichols, portrayed by Peyton List—in the Sekai Taikai girls' finals.[10][11]
Personal life
As an advocate for women in sports, Vallandingham seeks to challenge stereotypes in martial arts, a field traditionally dominated by men. She embraces phrases such as "kick like a girl" and "punch like a girl" as positive expressions of strength and skill.[12] In interviews, Vallandingham has explained that her professional decisions are guided by these values and her vision of what it means to be a female martial artist.[13]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Underdog Kids | Leticia Hernandez | Film debut | [14] |
| 2021 | Pawns | Jade | Short film | |
| 2026 | Street Fighter † | Juli | Post-production | [15] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2025 | Cobra Kai | Zara Malik | Recurring role (season 6) | [16] |
| 2026 | Citadel | Aparna | Recurring role (season 2) |
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Nicki Minaj | "Anaconda" | Herself |
| 2018 | Shawn Mendes | "Youth" | Herself |
| 2023 | David Guetta Anne-Marie, Coi Leray | "Baby Don't Hurt Me" | Herself |
| Lenny Tavárez | "Felicidades" | Herself |
References
- ↑ Talawadekar, Vaishnavi Nayel (January 2, 2025). "Rayna Vallandingham looks like the girl of your dreams, but she can also make you scream". Vogue India. Archived from the original on January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Local 10-year-old to co-star in martial arts movie 'Underdogs'". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ Houck, Kristina (June 13, 2015). "Local martial artist's skills give a kick to 'Underdog Kids'". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ "Underdogs Kids | DVD (Anchor Bay) | cityonfire.com". CityOnFire. Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ Murray, Russell (October 11, 2025). "Street Fighter 2026 Movie Cast And Character Guide: Who Plays Who". /Film. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (October 17, 2024). "Lewis Tan Joins 'Cobra Kai' Season 6, Part 2, as Sensei Wolf". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ Siddhika (November 15, 2024). "Cobra Kai Season 6 Gets a Killer Martial Artist in Cast: 13x World Champion Rayna Vallandingham is a Scary Fighter in Real Life". Fandomwire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ Peralta, Diego (October 17, 2024). "'Cobra Kai's Final Season Call Sheet Adds Three More". Collider. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ↑ Sharma, Dhruv (November 17, 2024). "The Iron Dragon Team In Cobra Kai Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ↑ Mott, Sean (February 14, 2025). "'Cobra Kai' Season 6 Part 3 Ending Explained: Everything Comes Full Circle in the Valley". Collider. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ↑ Shaw, Angel (February 14, 2025). "Johnny & Miguel's Miyagi-Do Decision During The Sekai Taikai Brings Cobra Kai Full Circle, Ending Their Karate Kid Story". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ↑ "Tae kwon do world champion Rayna Vallandingham takes pride in 'kicking like a girl' Events'". Yahoo Life. May 1, 2023. Archived from the original on August 31, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ↑ Muscle and Fitness (June 30, 2023). Winning Strategy: Rayna Vallandingham. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Rhee, Phillip (July 7, 2015), Underdog Kids (Action, Family), Phillip Rhee, Mirelly Taylor, Max Gail, Group Hug Productions, Itsy Bitsy Film, archived from the original on January 23, 2025, retrieved November 24, 2024
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (September 4, 2025). "'Street Fighter' Moves to Paramount as Legendary Deal Becomes Official". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 28, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ↑ Singh, Jasneet (November 21, 2024). "Zara Malik Is One of the Best New Villains in 'Cobra Kai' Season 6". Collider. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.