William Zabka, who was born in New York, New York, on October 20, 1965, comes from a family with connections to the motion picture business. While Johnny Carson was hosting “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” for the first two seasons, his father worked as the show’s assistant director.
In his late teens, Zabka started his acting career by appearing on the television program “The Greatest American Hero” for the first time. A year later, he was cast in the role that would earn him long-lasting fame: Johnny Lawrence, the bully who torments Ralph Macchio’s character in “The Karate Kid”.
According to legend, Zabka was chosen for the part after Macchio admitted to producers that Zabka had actually scared him during the audition.
Zabka has a history in high school wrestling but had no prior karate training.
On a small $8 million budget, “The Karate Kid” made a huge profit, generating $100 million in the US alone. A global karate craze was started by the movie. After working on the movie, Zabka became interested in Tang Soo Do and attained the rank of second-degree green belt.
Zabka balanced his roles in movies and TV shows during the 1980s. In films like “Just One of the Guys,” “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” “The Karate Kid: Part II,” “The Greatest American Hero,” “E/R,” and “The Equalizer,” he played a supporting role.
What language does William Zabka speak?
His last name (pronounced “huh-b-kuh”) is Czech for “little frog”. His paternal grandfather was from the Czech Republic, while his paternal grandmother was born to Czech parents in Nebraska. William’s mother is of German ancestry. He also speaks English.
How heavy is William Zabka?
William Zabka weighs 76 Kg.