Table of Biography
William Zabka is a promising actor and producer from the United States. William Zabka is known for his acting roles as Johnny Lawrence in “The Karate Kid” (1984), “The Karate Kid Part II” (1986), and the TV series “Cobra Kai” (2018–present).
Early Life
William Zabka was born on October 20, 1965, in New York City, New York, United States. According to the astrological chart, he has a birth sign of Libra and he is currently 58 years old. He is an American by nationality and has his belief in Christianity. His full name is William Michael Zabka and belongs to Czech ethnicity with Germanic ancestry.
He was born to his parents Nancy Zabka and Stan Zabka. By profession, his father is a director and composer while his mother used to be a producer and production assistant. He was raised with his two siblings; a brother named Guy Zabka and a sister Judy Zabka. His sister is a businesswoman.
William Zabka – Education
He attended the El Camino Real Charter High School in Los Angeles, United States. Later, he enrolled at California State University, Northridge, and majored in film.
Professional Career
William Zabka started his acting journey with the role of Johnny Lawrence in the 1984 movie “The Karate Kid.” His role was the main antagonist to the title character and protagonist played by Ralph Macchio in that movie. His role in the film motivated him to learn Tang Soo Do, and he eventually obtained a second-degree green belt.
Caption: The poster of the 1984 movie, The Karate Kid (Source: Amazon.com)
In the 1980s, he performed in the comedy movies “Just One of the Guys” (1985) and “Back to School” (1986). The actor also appeared as the son of the title character on the CBS television series “The Equalizer” from 1986 to 1989. He also appeared as Jack, Audrey’s jock boyfriend, in “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” (1985).
During the 1990s and 2000s, he primarily appeared in independent films while learning to be a director. In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film “Most” (also known as The Bridge), which was shot on location in the Czech Republic and Poland.
His shot movie had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003 and won numerous awards at prestigious film festivals. Meanwhile, he was also nominated for an Academy Award for ‘Most’ in the Live Action Short Film category in the year 2004.
Started directing music videos and continued his professional career
He has also worked as a director and starred in a music video for the band No More Kings’ song, “Sweep the Leg.” Moreover, he continued to direct music videos for the 2010 song “Why Wait” and also directed the video for their 2017 hit “Yours If You Want It.” He made his guest appearance in the 2010 comedy movie “Hot Tub Time Machine.”
Similarly, he guest starred in the TV series “How I Met Your Mother,” and “The Bro Mitzvah.” He also featured in multiple episodes of the sitcom’s ninth season, portraying a fictional version of himself. He has directed commercials for clients including Little Tikes and Verizon at Heresy in Venice, California.
On August 4, 2017, it was revealed that Zabka will reprise his role as Johnny Lawrence in a 10-episode Karate Kid revival series for YouTube Red called “Cobra Kai,” which premiered in 2018. He also serves as the series’ co-executive producer alongside Ralph Macchio.
The series begins 33 years after the events of the first film and follows a down-and-out Johnny who, to restore his life, reopens the Cobra Kai dojo. He has also provided his voice to his character Johnny Lawrence in the videogame “Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues” (2020) and “Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising.”
Awards
Till now, this American actor has not won any major awards. However, he has been nominated for the Young Artist Award (1985) for his works in ‘The Karate Kid’ and an Academy Award (2004) for his work in ‘Most.’
Net Worth 2024
As of 2023, Zabka has an estimated net worth of $3 million. As an actor, his earnings range from $20k to $149k. Apart from acting, he also earns through his production career.
Relationship Status
In 2008, William Zabka married Stacie Zabka, a homemaker. With the marriage, the couple has two children whose names are yet unknown at the moment. Presently, the actor is living comfortably and happily with his family.
Caption: William Zabka with his wife (Source: www.pinterest.com)
So far, he has not been involved in any controversy or scandal that has made headlines. Aside from that, he has managed to avoid rumours.
Body Measurements
Caption: William Zabka attending an award function (Source: Go Fug Yourself)
This American actor stands 6 feet tall (1.84 m) and weighs around 76 kg (167 lbs). In addition, he has a pair of blue eyes with blonde hair colour and his body measurement is 42-14-34 inches.
William Zabka – Social Media
On his Instagram page ‘@william_zabka’ there are over 2.2 million followers. Likewise, there are over 276.7k followers on his Twitter page ‘@WilliamZabka’ and over 3.7k followers on his Facebook page.