Acting credits
51
Established
Large and steady acting portfolio.
Actor
William Zabka
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.2
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 42Series: 11Crew credits: 3
TMDB ID: 56124
IMDb ID: nm0951420
Known for: Acting
Born: October 20, 1965
Age: 60
Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1981 - 2025
Years active: 45
Average TMDB rating: 6.43
Wikidata: Q966693
Also known as
Billy Zabka • William Michael Zabka
Other jobs
Co-Executive Producer (1)Craft Service (1)Writer (1)
Biography
William Michael "Billy" Zabka (born October 20, 1965) is an American actor, martial artist, screenwriter, and film producer. Zabka is best known for his role of Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and decades later reprises the role of Johnny in the Netflix series Cobra Kai (2018-), along with Ralph Macchio as Daniel. During the 1980s, Zabka appeared in the comedy movies Just One of the Guys (1985) and Back to School (1986). Zabka also co-starred on the CBS television series The Equalizer as the son of the title character (1986–89). He also played Jack, Audrey's jock boyfriend, in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). During the 1990s and 2000s, he acted mostly in independent films while studying to be a filmmaker. In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film Most, shot on location in the Czech Republic and Poland. Most (aka The Bridge) had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2003 and won numerous awards at prestigious film festivals, including Best of Festival at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films in 2003. In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category.
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with William Zabka.
Karate Kid: Legends
as Johnny Lawrence
2025 Movie
The Cobra Kai Movie
as William Zabka
2024 Movie
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson
as Self
2024 Movie
More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story
as Self
2021 Movie
Jud's Decision
Craft Service
2020 Movie
John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs
as Self
2017 Movie
The Man in the Silo
as Kevin
2016 Movie
The Dog Who Saved Summer
as Officer Johnny/Apollo
2015 Movie
I Hate Christian Laettner
as Johnny Lawrence (archive footage)
2015 Movie
Where Hope Grows
as Milton Malcolm
2014 Movie
Cross
as Saw
2011 Movie
Hot Tub Time Machine
as Rick
2010 Movie
Smiley Face
as Prison Guard
2007 Movie
Cake: A Wedding Story
as Sam
2007 Movie
Wild Roomies
as Slick Salesman
2004 Movie
Most
Writer
2003 Movie
Antibody
as Otto Emmerick
2002 Movie
Dark Descent
as Marty
2002 Movie
Python 2
as Greg Larson
2002 Movie
Ablaze
as Curt Peters
2002 Movie
Landspeed
as Bob Bailey
2002 Movie
Hyper Sonic
as The Executive
2002 Movie
Gale Force
as Rance
2002 Movie
Epoch
as Rover Driver Joe
2001 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with William Zabka.
Cobra Kai: Inside the Dojo
as Self • 3 eps
2024 Series
The Netflix Afterparty
as Self • 1 eps
2021 Series
Reunited Apart
as Self • 1 eps
2020 Series
Cobra Kai
as Johnny Lawrence • 65 eps
2018 Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
2014 Series
Psych
as Coach Baggs • 1 eps
2006 Series
How I Met Your Mother
as William Zabka • 7 eps
2005 Series
MTV Movie & TV Awards
as Self - Presenter • 1 eps
1992 Series
The Equalizer
as Scott McCall • 11 eps
1985 Series
E/R
1 eps
1984 Series
The Greatest American Hero
as Clarence Mortner Jr. • 1 eps
1981 Series