William Zabka
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.
Acting
TV
Cobra Kai
as Johnny Lawrence
2018
TV
How I Met Your Mother
as William Zabka
2005
Movie
The Karate Kid
as Johnny Lawrence
1984
Movie
Hot Tub Time Machine
as Rick
2010
Movie
The Karate Kid Part II
as Johnny Lawrence
1986
Movie
Karate Kid: Legends
as Johnny Lawrence
2025
Movie
National Lampoon's European Vacation
as Jack
1985
TV
Psych
as Coach Baggs
2006
Movie
Back to School
as Chas
1986
TV
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self
2014
Movie
Just One of the Guys
as Greg
1985
Movie
Smiley Face
as Prison Guard
2007
Movie
Where Hope Grows
as Milton Malcolm
2014
Movie
Python
as Greg Larsen
2000
Movie
Shootfighter: Fight to the Death
as Ruben
1993
Movie
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson
as Self
2024
TV
The Equalizer
as Scott McCall
1985
Movie
Epoch
as Rover Driver Joe
2001
TV
Cobra Kai: Inside the Dojo
as Self
2024
Movie
Cross
as Saw
2011
Movie
Python 2
as Greg Larson
2002
Movie
More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story
as Self
2021
Movie
I Hate Christian Laettner
as Johnny Lawrence (archive footage)
2015
Movie
Shootfighter II
as Ruben
1996
