William Zabka is a multi-talented American who has made a name for himself as an actor, director, writer, and producer. He rose to fame for his portrayal of Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid franchise, including the original film in 1984, its sequel in 1986, and the recent TV series Cobra Kai, which premiered in 2018 and is still ongoing.
Early Life & Education
William Michael Zabka was raised in New York City, New York by his parents, Nancy and Stan Zabka. His mother worked as a business liaison, producer, and production assistant, while his father was a director, writer, and composer. He also has a brother and sister.
Stan was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and comes from a Czech background. He has held the role of production manager for numerous films, including the 1982 Chuck Norris movie Forced Vengeance.
Zabka completed his studies at El Camino Real Charter High School in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. He then enrolled at California State University, Northridge to pursue a degree in film, but only for a short period.
William Zabka’s Career
William Zabka rose to fame with his debut performance in the 1984 film, The Karate Kid, portraying the role of Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the titular character portrayed by Ralph Macchio.
Although Zabka had no prior experience in karate, he was already a skilled wrestler. Being a part of the movie motivated Zabka to pursue training in Tang Soo Do, and he eventually achieved a second-degree green belt.
In the latter part of the 1980s, Zabka had roles in the comedic films Just One of the Guys (1985) and Back to School (1986). He was also a co-star on the CBS show The Equalizer, portraying the son of the main character from 1986 to 1989.
Additionally, William Zabka played the role of Audrey’s athletic boyfriend, Jack, in National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985). Later, Zabka attempted to distance himself from portraying the stereotypical bully role.
During an interview, Zabka shared that he would occasionally face harassment from strangers in public because of the negative character he was recognized for.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka focused on independent films and pursued his dream of becoming a filmmaker. As part of his studies, he wrote and produced the short film Most (also known as The Bridge) in 2003, which was filmed in both the Czech Republic and Poland.
In 2003, Most debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and received accolades at renowned film festivals such as the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, winning the Best of Festival award. The following year, William Zabka was recognized with an Academy Award nomination in the Live Action Short Film category for Most.
In 2010, Zabka took on the role of director for Rascal Flatts’ music video “Why Wait,” and later directed their popular 2017 video “Yours If You Want It.” During this time, Zabka also had a brief cameo in the comedic film Hot Tub Time Machine.
It was revealed on August 4, 2017, that William Zabka would once again play Johnny Lawrence in a YouTube Red series called Cobra Kai, which premiered in 2018. Zabka is also a co-executive producer of the show alongside Ralph Macchio.
Net Worth
William Zabka is an American actor, writer, and director, who has a net worth of $3 million. He rose to prominence with his role in the 1984 hit film “The Karate Kid”.
He has since gained even more recognition and praise for his work on the revived series “Cobra Kai”, which premiered on Youtube in May 2018 but gained widespread popularity after its release on Netflix in August 2020.
