Who Is William Zabka? Where You've Seen the 'Cobra Kai' Star Before

You may already know that Cobra Kai is one of Ree Drummond's favorite shows. If you ask The Pioneer Woman about her experience of watching it for the first time, she'll tell you that it "made" her whole year!

The series acts as a sequel to the original Karate Kid films, which followed teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as he learned important life lessons through martial arts and his instructor, Mr. Miyagi. Between the irresistible nostalgia, the beautiful filming locations, and many of our favorite characters (and villains) from the films popping up at the Cobra Kai dojo, it's easy to understand just why Ree is so obsessed.

Another thing that captivates Cobra Kai fans everywhere is the amazingly talented and committed cast. And though they all play pivotal roles in Cobra Kai's success, the show simply wouldn't be the same without Johnny Lawrence. If you're interested in learning more about Daniel's best frenemy, then look no further. We have all the facts about the actor who plays Johnny: William Zabka. Read along to find out where else you might have seen him, as well as details about his personal life and real-life friendship with costar Ralph Macchio.

What other movies and shows has William Zabka been in?

While his first acting gig was playing Johnny Lawrence in the Karate Kid franchise (which ultimately led him to his role in Cobra Kai), Zabka has proved his love for being in front of the camera many times since then. He appeared in the hilarious '80s movies Just One of the Guys (1985) and Back to School (1986), and eventually landed a costarring role on the CBS television series The Equalizer from 1986 to 1989. Zabka spent most of the 2000s acting in independent movies while simultaneously studying to be a filmmaker. This paid off because, in 2004, he earned a nomination for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category. Between commercials, small movies, and guest-starring roles in shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Zabka has had quite an impressive career.

Does William Zabka actually know karate?

Zabka didn’t know any karate before his role in The Karate Kid. He learned the skills on set through the film's trainer, Pat Johnson. According to The Wrap, "Zabka stuck with the martial art form and made it all the way to a second-degree green belt (about midway to black belt)."

Funnily enough, Zabka was actually a wrestler back in his high school days—and an accomplished one at that!

Are William Zabka and Ralph Macchio friends in real life?

Though their characters in Cobra Kai can't seem to get along for more than a day, their real-life relationship couldn't be more different. Zabka says he and Macchio, who are both from New York, have a lot in common and love hanging out off-screen. “We’ll drive home. We’ll have the same complaints, the same thoughts, you know, so… We drive, you know, we get lost together, crank the music together,” Zabka on The Jenny McCarthy show in 2019.

But this wasn't always the case. Zabka and Macchio were not this close during their Karate Kid days. There was no bad blood between the two—but the movie's director, John Avildsen, generally kept the actors separate when they weren't filming. "I mean, John didn’t want us to get chummy… He encouraged me to hang out with the Cobra Kais where I belonged apparently,” Zabka told SiriusXM.

Macchio revealed in a joint interview with Rotten Tomatoes in 2019 that his bond with Zabka grew stronger after the passing of their beloved friend Pat Morita— also known as Mr. Miyagi. “We’ve become closer friends over the years, certainly since Pat," said Macchio. "When Pat passed away we became closer friends just through the loss of him and moving forward and the fact that this film has stood the test of time.”