Who Is William Zabka? Where You’ve Seen the ‘Cobra Kai’ Star

Perhaps you already know that Cobra Kai One of Ree Drummond’s favorite shows. If you ask Pioneer Woman about her first time watching this movie, she will tell you that it “made” her for a whole year!

The series is a continuation of the original. Karate kid movies that follow teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as he learns important life lessons with the help of martial arts and his instructor, Mr. Miyagi. Between overwhelming nostalgia, beautiful filming locations, and many of our favorite movie characters (and villains) appearing on Cobra Kai dojo, it’s easy to see why Ree is so obsessed.

Another thing that captivates Cobra Kai fans everywhere – it’s an amazingly talented and dedicated cast. Although they all play a key role in Cobra Kaisuccess, the show just wouldn’t be the same without Johnny Lawrence. If you’re interested in learning more about Daniel’s best nemesis, look no further. We have all the facts about the actor who plays Johnny: William Zabke. Read on to find out where else you might have seen him, as well as details about his personal life and real-life friendship with co-star Ralph Macchio.

What other movies and shows has William Zabka starred in?

While his first acting performance was as Johnny Lawrence in Karate kid franchise (which eventually led him to a role in Cobra Kai), Zabka has since proven his love for the camera many times. He appeared in funny movies of the 80s. Just one of the guys (1985) and back to school (1986) and eventually landed a lead role in the CBS television series. Equalizer from 1986 to 1989. Zabka spent most of the 2000s acting in independent films while studying to be a director. It paid off because in 2004 he received an Academy Award nomination for Most in the Short Film category. Between commercials, small films and guest roles on shows like How I Met your motherZabka has quite an impressive career.

Does William Zabka really know karate?

Zabka did not know karate before his role in Karate kid. He learned skills on set from film coach Pat Johnson. According to Wrapper“Zabka adhered to a form of martial art and went all the way to second degree green belt (about halfway to black belt).“

Oddly enough, Zabka was actually a wrestler in his school years, and a very experienced one at that!

Are William Zabka and Ralph Macchio friends in real life?

Although their characters Cobra Kai it seems like they can’t get along for more than a day, their real life relationship couldn’t be more different. Zabka says that he and Macchio, both from New York, have a lot in common and love to spend time behind the scenes. “We will go home. We’re going to have the same complaints, the same thoughts, you know, so… We’re going, you know, we’re getting lost together, we’re playing music together,” Zabka on The Jenny McCarthy Show in 2019.

But it was not always so. Zabka and Macchio weren’t that close during their Karate kid days. There was no animosity between the two, but the film’s director, John Avildsen, usually kept the actors apart when they weren’t filming. “I mean, John didn’t want us to hang out… He encouraged me to hang out with Cobra Kais, which is where I apparently was,” Zabka told SiriusXM.

Macchio revealed in a 2019 joint interview with Rotten Tomatoes that his bond with Zabka has deepened since the death of their beloved friend Pat Morita, aka Mr. Miyagi. “We’ve become closer friends over the years, especially since Pat,” Macchio said. “When Pat passed away, we became closer friends just because of losing him and moving forward, and because this movie has stood the test of time. ”