William Zabka - Wikipedia

American actor and martial artist (born 1965)

William Zabka
Zabka at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2019
Born	William Michael Zabka (1965-10-20) October 20, 1965 (age 60)New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	California State University, Northridge (dropped out)
Occupations	Actor martial artist
Years active	1982–present
Spouse	Stacie Zabka ​(m. 2008)​
Children	2

William Michael “Billy” Zabka (/ˈzæbkə/; born October 20, 1965)[1][2] is an American actor. He is best known for his role of Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and the TV series Cobra Kai (2018–2025).[3]

Zabka's career took off with The Karate Kid, despite having no prior karate training. During the 1980s, he appeared in the films Just One of the Guys (1985), Back to School (1986), and the television series The Equalizer (1986–1989). In the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka focused on independent films and filmmaking. In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing and producing the short film Most.[4] Zabka continued his directing career, including music videos for Rascal Flatts. From 2018 to 2025, he reprised his role as Johnny Lawrence in the YouTube Red and Netflix series Cobra Kai, which he co-executive produced with Karate Kid costar Ralph Macchio.

Early life

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Zabka was born in New York City, the son of Nancy, a business liaison, producer, and production assistant, and Stan Zabka, a director, writer, and composer.[5] Zabka has a brother and a sister. Stan is of Czech and German descent. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa.[6] He worked as production manager on many motion pictures, including the Chuck Norris film Forced Vengeance (1982).[7]

He lived in Long Island until he was ten, when his family then moved to San Fernando Valley California.[8] In 1983, Zabka graduated from El Camino Real Charter High School in Los Angeles, before briefly attending California State University, Northridge and majoring in film.[9]

Career

[edit]

While attending his first semester at California State University, Northridge, Zabka began auditioning for The Karate Kid (1984), halfway through his first semester he would drop out of school when he got his breakout acting role as Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the title character and protagonist played by Ralph Macchio. At the time, Zabka had no training in karate, but was an accomplished wrestler.[10] Participating in the film inspired Zabka to learn the martial art of Tang Soo Do and he later earned a black belt.[3] The films final scene was filmed at Cal State Northridges gymnasium, Zabka later jokingly commented on this stating “So I went to college as a student and came back by the end of the semester as one of the stars of Karate Kid.”[8]

Later in the 1980s, Zabka appeared in the comedy movies Just One of the Guys (1985) and Back to School (1986). He co-starred on the CBS television series The Equalizer as the son of the title character (1986–89). Zabka also played Jack, Audrey's jock boyfriend, in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). Zabka later tried to step away from playing the class bully character. In an interview, Zabka mentioned that he was sometimes hassled in public by random people due to the villainous characters he was best known for.[11][12] In 1986 he had some smaller roles in films such as Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story and Back to School, while also returning as Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid Part II.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka acted mostly in independent films and did behind the scenes work while studying to be a filmmaker. In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film Most (aka The Bridge) shot on location in the Czech Republic and Poland. Most had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003 and won numerous awards at prestigious film festivals, including Best of Festival at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films in 2003. In 2004, Zabka was nominated for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category.[11][12][13]

In 2007, Zabka directed and starred in a music video for the band No More Kings' song, "Sweep the Leg." The video stars Zabka as a caricature of himself, living in a trailer in the desert and obsessed with his role in The Karate Kid. The video includes cameos by several of the original Karate Kid cast members, including Martin Kove and Ralph Macchio.[14][15][16]

In 2010, Zabka made a cameo appearance in the comedy movie Hot Tub Time Machine. That same year, Zabka directed Rascal Flatts in their music video for the song "Why Wait" and also directed the video for their 2017 hit "Yours If You Want It." The video was nominated for Group Video of the Year at the 2018 CMT Music Awards.

In 2010 Zabka produced the feature length documentary White Wanderer: Mzungu which followed four Americans in Africa as they confront harsh realities, and help empower hundreds of impoverished street children.[17] He also served as executive producer for the 2014 documentary Never A Neverland which documents the people of Swaziland trying to save their country from extinction.

In 2013, Zabka and Macchio guest starred in the season 8 episode of How I Met Your Mother, "The Bro Mitzvah." Zabka also appeared in several episodes of the sitcom's ninth season, playing a fictional version of himself. Zabka also directed commercials for clients including Little Tikes and Verizon at Heresy in Venice, California.[18] He also voiced Johnny Lawrence along with 2 other characters in an episode of Robot Chicken entitled "Caffeine-Induced Aneurysm".

On August 4, 2017, it was announced that Zabka would reprise his role as Johnny Lawrence in a 10-episode Karate Kid revival series for YouTube Red titled Cobra Kai that debuted in 2018.[19] Zabka also co-executive produces the series with Ralph Macchio. The series begins 33 years after the events of the first film, and revolves around a down and out Johnny who, seeking to rebuild his life, reopens the Cobra Kai dojo. It reignites his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), who has been struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his now deceased mentor, Mr. Miyagi.[20][21] The series ran for six seasons, concluding in 2025,[22] with Zabka receiving praise for his passion and ability to convey complex emotions, particularly in dramatic scenes involving his character's past and relationships with other characters along with the characters redemption arc.[23][24][25]

In November of 2024 Zabka appeared on the Tonight Show Starting Jimmy Fallon Show in celebration of The Karate Kids 40th anniversary.[26] He also appeared as a celebrity guest on Password.[27]

In 2025 Zabka made a cameo appearance as Johnny Lawrence in the final scene of the film Karate Kid Legends.[28]

Personal life

[edit]

Zabka married his wife, Stacie, in 2008 and they have two children.[29]

Since returning to his role as Johnny Lawrence, Zabka has started training in karate regularly along with tang soo do. He also enjoys spending time outdoors surfing, scuba diving and river rafting.[30][31]

Music

[edit]

Zabka is a fan of hair metal and is a guitar player himself, a hobby he has had since he was 10 years old. He even attended the Dick Grove School of Music in California, where he learned to read music and studied to be a trained session player.[32] He has played in a few bands with his friends one of them being named Acoustic Outlaws, where they would play at local festivals.[32] In 2019 Zabka played his character Johnny Lawrence’s theme song “Ace Degenerate” live alongside Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, in front of a sold out crowd at the Whisky a Go Go.[33][34]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	The Karate Kid	Johnny Lawrence
1985	Just One of the Guys	Greg Tolan
	National Lampoon's European Vacation	Jack
1986	Back to School	Chas Osborne
	The Karate Kid Part II	Johnny Lawrence	Minor role
	Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story	Kim Fisher	TV movie
1988	A Tiger's Tale	Randy
1989	The Karate Kid Part III	Johnny Lawrence	Archive footage
	Protect and Surf	Russell Cooper	TV Movie
1991	For Parents Only	Ted	Alternative title: Mean Parents Suck
1992	Shootfighter: Fight to the Death	Ruben	Alternative title: Shootfighter
1994	Unlawful Passage	Howie
1995	Shootfighter II	Ruben
	The Power Within	Raymond Vonn	Alternative title: Power Man
1996	To the Ends of Time	Alexander
1997	High Voltage	Bulldog
1999	Interceptors	Dave	Alternative titles: Interceptor ForcePredator 3: InterceptersThe Last Line of Defence
2001	Epoch	Joe	Television movie
	Python	Greg Larsen	Television movie
	Falcon Down	Security Guard John
2001	Ablaze	Curt Peters
	Mindstorm	Rojack	Alternative titles: Artificial TelepathyProject: Human Weapon
2002	Gale Force	Rance
	Python II	Greg Larsen	Television movie, credited as Billy Zabka
	Hyper Sonic	The Executive
	Landspeed	Bob Bailey
	Dark Descent	Marty (Opening credits only)	Alternative title: Descent Into Darkness
	Antibody	Otto Emmerick
2003	Most	-	Alternative title: The Bridge, screenwriter & producer
2004	Roomies	Slick Salesman	Alternative title: Wild Roomies
2007	Smiley Face	Prison guard
	Cake: A Wedding Story	Sam	Alternative title: Cake: A Wedding Comedy
	Starting from Scratch	Bill Bowman
2010	Hot Tub Time Machine	Rick Steelman
	Mean Parents Suck	Detective Ted Clement
2011	Cross	Griff
2014	Where Hope Grows	Milton Malcolm
2015	The Dog Who Saved Summer	Officer Johnny & Apollo (Voice)	Dual Role
2016	The Man in the Silo	Kevin
2024	The Cobra Kai Movie	Himself	Short Film
2025	Karate Kid: Legends	Johnny Lawrence	Cameo

Television

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Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983	The Greatest American Hero	Clarence Mortner Jr.	1 episode
1984	Gimme a Break!	Jeffery	1 episode
	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Rick Peterson	1 episode
1984–1985	E/R	Druggie Kid/Thief	1 episode
1985–1989	The Equalizer	Scott McCall	12 episodes from "The Equalizer" (Pilot S1.E1)to "Time Present, Time Past" (S4.E16)
2001	18 Wheels of Justice	Det. Barron	1 episode
2011	Jimmy Kimmel Live!	Johnny Lawrence	1 episode
2013	Robot Chicken	Johnny Lawrence, Gibby, American Werewolf (voice)	Guest, season 6, episode 15, "Caffeine-Induced Aneurysm"
2013–2014	How I Met Your Mother	Clown/himself	Guest star (Season 8), recurring role (Season 9)
2014	Psych	Coach Bagg	Guest star: A Nightmare on State Street
2015	Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street	Sensei Jeff	Guest, season 2, episode 9, "Stanley and the Tattoo of Tall Tales"
	To Appomattox	John Rawlins	TV Miniseries
2018–2025	Cobra Kai	Johnny Lawrence	Main role, also executive producer and directed episode "Rattled"
2024	Password	Celebrity Guest	Game Show
2024	The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon	Himself/guest	1 episode

Video games

[edit]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2020	Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues	Johnny Lawrence (voice)
2022	Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising	Johnny Lawrence (voice)

Award nominations

[edit]

Year	Award	Category	Film	Result
1985	Young Artist Award	Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama	The Karate Kid	Nominated
2003	Palm Springs International ShortFest	Best of the festival	Most (shared with Bobby Garabedian)	Won
2003	Dances With Films	Best of the festival	Most (shared with Bobby Garabedian)	Won
2003	Heartland International Film Festival	Crystal Heart Award	Most (shared with Bobby Garabedian)	Won
2004	Academy Awards	Best Live Action Short Film	Most (shared with Bobby Garabedian)	Nominated
2018	IGN Summer Movie Awards	Best Comedic TV Performance	Cobra Kai	Nominated
2020	MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time	Zero to Hero	Karate kid/Cobra Kai	Won
2021	Online Film & Television Association	Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Cobra Kai	Nominated
2021	Primetime Emmy	Outstanding Comedy Series	Cobra Kai (shared)	Nominated
2022	Critics Choice Super Awards	Best Actor in an Action Series	Cobra Kai	Nominated
2023	Critics Choice Super Awards	Best Actor in an Action Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie	Cobra Kai	Nominated
2023	Online Film & Television Association	Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Cobra Kai	Nominated

References

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1. ^ Hubbard, Linda S.; Steen, Sara J. (1989). "Zabka, William". In Hubbard, Linda S.; O'Donnell, Owen (eds.). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Cengage Gale. p. 467. ISBN 978-0-8103-2070-3. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2020. Born October 20 in New York, NY; son of Stan Zabka (assistant director); mother, a production assistant
2. ^ Hornik, Susan (April 11, 2019). "How Karate Training Helped Cobra Kai's William Zabka Get Back in Fighting Shape at 53". Men's Health. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2020. ...at age 53 [as of April 2019]
3. ^ a b "Sweep the Leg! Interview with the real Johnny, William Zabka". Kung Fu Magazine. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
4. ^ "William Zabka". IMDb. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
5. ^ "William Zabka Biography (1965-)". Filmreference.com. October 20, 1965. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
6. ^ Rechcigl, Miloslav Jr. (November 10, 2016). Encyclopedia of Bohemian and Czech-American Biography. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-5246-2069-1. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
7. ^ "A Little About Us..." Zabka.com. March 31, 2014. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
8. ^ a b "'Cobra Kai' Star Billy Zabka On Living With '80s Novelty Fame". UPROXX. June 26, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
9. ^ Mancini, Vince (June 26, 2019). "'Cobra Kai' Star Billy Zabka On Living With '80s Novelty Fame And What Today's Kids Could Learn From His Generation". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
10. ^ O'Neal, Sean (June 8, 2010). "William Zabka". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
11. ^ a b Fretts, Bruce (March 31, 2014). "Billy Zabka on How I Met Your Mother, the Zabkatage, and Sweeping the Leg". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
12. ^ a b Sellers, John (June 23, 2011). "And the Number One Dick Is...Zabka!". GQ. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
13. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 4, 2017). "'Karate Kid' TV Sequel, Starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, a Go at YouTube Red (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
14. ^ Anagnoson, Alex (December 14, 2021). "WATCH: 'Cobra Kai' Cast Starred in a 2007 Music Video". Heavy. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
15. ^ No More Kings "Sweep the Leg" (No More Kings Official YouTube Page) on YouTube
16. ^ Strauss, Chris (October 9, 2014). "'Karate Kid' villain Billy Zabka is still best friends with the Cobra Kais". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
17. ^ Gilbert, Shana Marie (July 30, 2025). "'White Wanderer' (aka 'Mzungu'): A Crucial Documentary Addressing Global Crises and the Power of Compassion, Coming August 5, 2025". Standard Newswire. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
18. ^ Weldon, Sarah (August 4, 2017). "The Karate Kid: Where Are They Now?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
19. ^ "Ralph Macchio to star in new 'Karate Kid' series, 'Cobra Kai'". ABC News. August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
20. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 4, 2017). "'Karate Kid' TV Sequel, Starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, a Go at YouTube Red". MSN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
21. ^ Topel, Fred (April 27, 2019). "'Cobra Kai' Season 2: About That 'Karate Kid' Reunion in Episode 6…". /Film. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
22. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (May 3, 2024). "Cobra Kai's final season gets 3 premiere dates(!) and a new teaser". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
23. ^ Shraddha (February 18, 2025). "'Cobra Kai' Creator Ignites Emmy Shouts for William Zabka, for Legendary Run with Netflix Series". Netflix Junkie. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
24. ^ "Exclusive: Cobra Kai stars poured "heart and souls" into "bittersweet" final season". Digital Spy. July 17, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
25. ^ Patterson, Demetrius (February 20, 2025). "William Zabka on the 'Cobra Kai' Ending and Redemption of Johnny Lawrence". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
26. ^ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (November 19, 2024). William Zabka Teaches Jimmy a Signature Karate Move, Talks Magic of Mr. Miyagi (Extended). Retrieved September 10, 2025 – via YouTube.
27. ^ "Pajama Password with Keke Palmer and William Zabka". Yahoo Entertainment. November 20, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
28. ^ "Johnny Lawrence? How 'Karate Kid: Legends' Snuck In Its 'Cobra Kai' Cameo". Inverse. June 1, 2025. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
29. ^ Tauber, Michelle (January 11, 2021). "Karate Kid Bully William Zabka Opens Up About His Transformation to Hero in Cobra Kai". People. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
30. ^ "'Cobra Kai' Stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka Still Do Karate to Stay Fit: 'You're Never Too Old for Anything' (Exclusive)". People.com. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
31. ^ Plaugher, Noel (February 19, 2021). "Icons of Cobra Kai". Black Belt Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
32. ^ a b published, Richard Bienstock (March 24, 2022). "Cobra Kai star Billy Zabka on his love of '80s rock, jamming with Robert Downey Jr. and the time Eddie Van Halen gave him a guitar lesson". Guitar World. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
33. ^ PR, Impact24. "Whisky a Go Go Hosts Concert Featuring Music of Cobra Kai on June 12". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved November 15, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
34. ^ Bionic Buzz (June 13, 2019). Enter the Dojo: The Music of Cobra Kai Live! w/ William Zabka. Retrieved November 15, 2025 – via YouTube.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Zabka.

• William Zabka at IMDb
• William Zabka at the TCM Movie Database
• Profile Archived May 7, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, zabka.com

v t e The Karate Kid
Feature films	The Karate Kid (1984) The Karate Kid Part II (1986) The Karate Kid Part III (1989) The Next Karate Kid (1994) The Karate Kid (2010) Karate Kid: Legends (2025)
Television	The Karate Kid (1989–1990) Cobra Kai (2018–2025) episodes Season 1 2 3 4 5 6
Characters	Mr. Miyagi Daniel LaRusso Johnny Lawrence Ali Mills John Kreese Chozen Toguchi Kumiko Terry Silver Mike Barnes Jessica Andrews
Music	"The Moment of Truth" "You're the Best" "Glory of Love" The Karate Kid (2010) soundtrack "Never Say Never" Karate Kid: Legends (soundtrack)
Video games	The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986) The Karate Kid (1987) Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues (2020) Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising (2022) The Karate Kid: Street Rumble (2024)
Related	Crane kick "The Bro Mitzvah" Sweep the Leg Johnny "Sweep the Leg"
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