William Michael Zabka (born on October 20, 1965) is an American actor, best known for his roles as The Bully in several 80s films, most famously in The Karate Kid. More recently, Zabka has had a Career Resurrection by updating his Karate Kid character in the sequel series, Cobra Kai.
Selected filmography with TV Tropes pages:
- The Karate Kid (1984): Johnny Lawrencenote
- Just One of the Guys (1985): Greg Tolan
- National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985): Jack
- Back to School (1986): Chas Osborne
- High Voltage (1997): Bulldog
- Python (2000): Greg Larsen
- Python II (2002): Greg Larsen
- Smiley Face (2007): Prison guard
- Hot Tub Time Machine (2010): Rick Steelman
TV roles and appearances
- The Greatest American Hero (1983)
- CBS Schoobreak Special (1984)
- Gimme a Break! (1984)
- The Equalizer (1985-89): Scott McCall
- Robot Chicken (2013)
- How I Met Your Mother (2013-14): As Himself
- Psych (2014)
- Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (2015)
- Cobra Kai (2018 – present): Johnny Lawrence
Tropes related to his roles:
- Adam Westing: His role on How I Met Your Mother, in which he is a washed-up actor still bitter that his character in The Karate Kid is viewed as villainous when he’s actually the victim.
- The Bully: Arguably the Trope Codifier of The '80s, playing the role in The Karate Kid, Just One of the Guys, and Back to School. He also codified the blonde Jerk Jock as the standard '80s villain. These roles, especially in The Karate Kid, formed his public image throughout his career, causing him to become typecasted.
- Career Resurrection: Experienced one in The New '10s, first through his appearances in How I Met Your Mother and Hot Tub Time Machine, and then in Cobra Kai, in which he reprised his role as Johnny Lawrence, who is now a Reformed Bully and promoted to co-protagonist with Ralph Macchio.
- Jerk Jock: All of his bully roles are one of these:
- Plays a karate champion in The Karate Kid.
- Plays a bodybuilder in Just One of the Guys.
- Plays a diver in Back to School.
