William Zabka
![Zabka at [[GalaxyCon]] Richmond in 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/William_Zabka_Photo_Op_GalaxyCon_Richmond_2019.jpg)
Zabka was born in New York City and graduated from El Camino Real Charter High School in Los Angeles in 1983. His acting career took off with ''The Karate Kid'', despite having no prior karate training. Throughout the 1980s, Zabka appeared in notable films and TV series, including ''Just One of the Guys'' (1985), ''Back to School'' (1986), and ''The Equalizer'' (1986-1989). He later sought to diversify his roles beyond the bully characters he was known for.
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''. Zabka continued directing, including music videos for Rascal Flatts.
In 2018, Zabka reprised his role as Johnny Lawrence in the YouTube Red series ''Cobra Kai'', which he co-executive produces with Ralph Macchio. The series, set 33 years after the original film, explores the re-opening of the Cobra Kai dojo and the rekindling of the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. Provided by Wikipedia