Rob Garrison, 'Karate Kid' actor, dead at 59

Rob Garrison, an actor best known for his role as Tommy in "The Karate Kid" movies, has died. He was 59.

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A cause of death has not been released. Garrison had been in the hospital for more than a month because of issues with his kidneys and liver, USA Today reported.

"Rob was a great person and ambassador to 'The Karate Kid' legacy," Rick Henriques, Garrison's manager, told USA Today in a statement. "He will be missed by me and everyone he encountered."

Garrison played Tommy, a member of the Cobra Kai dojo and an intense antagonist to Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.

Garrison portrayed Tommy in “The Karate Kid: Part II” and had a cameo in the YouTube series “Cobra Kai.”

"(It's) a sad day for the Karate Kid/ Cobra Kai family," Macchio said in a statement to USA Today. "Rob Garrison was a kind gentleman from the first day I met him to the last day we spoke. I am so glad he had the opportunity to show his range and genuine heart with his performance last season on 'Cobra Kai'... My thoughts are with his friends and family."

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