William Zabka
Encyclopedia
William Michael "Billy" Zabka (born October 20, 1965) is an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is an Academy Award Nominee (2004) for Co-Writing and Producing the film, "MOST." Zabka is best known for his villain roles in several iconic 80s films, such as his role of Johnny Lawrence in 1984's The Karate Kid.
to Nancy and Stanley Zabka. The latter has worked as production manager on a number of motion pictures, including the Chuck Norris
vehicle Forced Vengeance
. Young William grew up with two siblings: sister Judy; brother Guy. Both brothers share a fondness for writing and performing music; together, they own and operate Big Island Music, Incorporated.
Zabka's breakout role came in his first movie, 1984's The Karate Kid. Zabka played the role of Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the title character played by Ralph Macchio
. Zabka's participation in the Karate Kid inspired him to learn the martial art of Tang Soo Do
.
During the 1980s, Zabka continued to define his acting roles 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
with Edward Woodward
(1986–1989) and he played Jack, Audrey's jock boyfriend, in National Lampoon's European Vacation
.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka 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
, Zabka was nominated for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category.
In 2007, Zabka directed and starred in a music video for the band No More Kings
entitled "Sweep the Leg". The video stars Zabka as a caricature of himself, living in a trailer in the desert and obsessed with his role in The Karate Kid. The video includes cameos by several of the original Karate Kid cast members, including Martin Kove
and Ralph Macchio
. "Sweep the Leg" was featured on MTV.com, Vh1.com, E!. Within its first week of release, it became the number one video on YouTube on March 16, 2007. As of May 2008, it had received 3 million views. The video was collaboration between No More Kings’ record label Astonish Records, and Chapter Seven Films, a film company in Los Angeles.
In 2010, Zabka directed Rascal Flatts
in their music video for the song "Why Wait." Shot in Las Vegas, Nevada
, following a story reminiscent of the comedy film The Hangover
. Starring David Arquette
plays the man in the video who proposes to his girlfriend. Rick Harrison of the History Channel original show Pawn Stars
makes a cameo appearance in the video. Also in the video are cameos by Ron White
, Carrot Top
, Wayne Newton
, and Penn and Teller.
Zabka also made a cameo appearance in the film Hot Tub Time Machine
that same year.
In 2011, Zabka's Rascal Flatts video was Nominated for CMT Video Of The Year and Group Video of the year.
Life and career
Zabka was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Nancy and Stanley Zabka. The latter has worked as production manager on a number of motion pictures, including the Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
vehicle Forced Vengeance
Forced Vengeance
Forced Vengeance is a 1982 motion picture action drama. When the owner and proprietor of the Lucky Dragon casino in Hong Kong refuses to let mobsters take over his business he and his family are hit...
. Young William grew up with two siblings: sister Judy; brother Guy. Both brothers share a fondness for writing and performing music; together, they own and operate Big Island Music, Incorporated.
Zabka's breakout role came in his first movie, 1984's The Karate Kid. Zabka played the role of Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the title character played by Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
. Zabka's participation in the Karate Kid inspired him to learn the martial art of Tang Soo Do
Tang Soo Do
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various martial arts, including taekkyeon and Subak.-Etymology:...
.
During the 1980s, Zabka continued to define his acting roles in the comedy movies Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Lisa Gottlieb. The film is marketed with the tagline "Terri Griffith is about to go where no woman has gone before." This movie ranked number 48 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the "50 Best High School Movies".-Plot:Terry Griffith is an...
(1985) and Back to School (1986). Zabka also co-starred on the CBS television series The Equalizer
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
with Edward Woodward
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
(1986–1989) and he played Jack, Audrey's jock boyfriend, in National Lampoon's European Vacation
National Lampoon's European Vacation
European Vacation is a 1985 comedy film. The second film in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, it was directed by Amy Heckerling and stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Dana Hill and Jason Lively replace Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall as Griswold children Audrey and Rusty...
.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka acted mostly in independent films while studying to be a filmmaker. In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film Most
Most (film)
Most is a 2003 Czech film directed by Bobby Garabedian and written and produced by American actor William Zabka. The music score was created by John Debney...
, shot on location in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Most (aka The Bridge) had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
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
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
, Zabka was nominated for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category.
In 2007, Zabka directed and starred in a music video for the band No More Kings
No More Kings
No More Kings are a Los Angeles-based rock band fronted by lead singer Pete Mitchell . No More Kings' music is known for its frequent references to figures in pop culture,...
entitled "Sweep the Leg". The video stars Zabka as a caricature of himself, living in a trailer in the desert and obsessed with his role in The Karate Kid. The video includes cameos by several of the original Karate Kid cast members, including Martin Kove
Martin Kove
Martin Kove is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.-Film appearances:His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese...
and Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
. "Sweep the Leg" was featured on MTV.com, Vh1.com, E!. Within its first week of release, it became the number one video on YouTube on March 16, 2007. As of May 2008, it had received 3 million views. The video was collaboration between No More Kings’ record label Astonish Records, and Chapter Seven Films, a film company in Los Angeles.
In 2010, Zabka directed Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
in their music video for the song "Why Wait." Shot in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, following a story reminiscent of the comedy film The Hangover
The Hangover
The Hangover is the second solo album by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, released in 1997.-Track listing:All tracks by Clarke unless otherwise stated.# "Wasn't Yesterday Great" – 2:45# "It's Good Enough for Rock N' Roll" – 3:12...
. Starring David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
plays the man in the video who proposes to his girlfriend. Rick Harrison of the History Channel original show Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars is an American reality television series on the History Channel, produced in Manhattan by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard...
makes a cameo appearance in the video. Also in the video are cameos by Ron White
Ron White
Ronald "Ron" White is an American stand up comedian and satirist who has had two Grammy Award-nominations, and is RIAA certified 10x Platinum for CD and DVD sales of over 10 million units...
, Carrot Top
Carrot Top
Scott Thompson , better known by his stage name Carrot Top, is an American comedian known for his bright red hair, prop comedy, and self-deprecating humor.-Early years:...
, Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
, and Penn and Teller.
Zabka also made a cameo appearance in the film Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
that same year.
In 2011, Zabka's Rascal Flatts video was Nominated for CMT Video Of The Year and Group Video of the year.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Johnny Lawrence | |
| 1985 | Just One of the Guys Just One of the Guys Just One of the Guys is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Lisa Gottlieb. The film is marketed with the tagline "Terri Griffith is about to go where no woman has gone before." This movie ranked number 48 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the "50 Best High School Movies".-Plot:Terry Griffith is an... |
Greg Tolan | |
| National Lampoon's European Vacation National Lampoon's European Vacation European Vacation is a 1985 comedy film. The second film in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, it was directed by Amy Heckerling and stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Dana Hill and Jason Lively replace Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall as Griswold children Audrey and Rusty... |
Jack | ||
| 1986 | Back to School | Chas Osborne | |
| The Karate Kid, Part II The Karate Kid, Part II The Karate Kid, Part II is a 1986 American martial arts film and is a sequel to 1984's The Karate Kid. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti... |
Johnny Lawrence | ||
| 1988 | A Tiger's Tale A Tiger's Tale A Tiger's Tale is a 1987 film written and directed by Peter Douglas, based on the novel Love and Other Natural Disasters by Allen Hannay III.-Plot:... |
Randy | |
| 1991 | For Parents Only | Ted | Alternative title: Mean Parents Suck |
| 1992 | Shootfighter: Fight to the Death | Ruben | Alternative title: Shootfighter |
| 1994 | Unlawful Passage | Howie | |
| 1995 | Shootfighter II | Ruben | |
| The Power Within The Power Within (1995) -Plot:Stan Dryer, an unsuccessful-at-life green-belt in karate teenager, is given an ancient ring by an old karate master whom Stan tried to save from impending doom.... |
Raymond Vonn | Alternative title: Power Man | |
| 1997 | High Voltage | Bulldog | |
| 1999 | Interceptors | Dave | Alternative titles: Interceptor Force Predator 3: Intercepters The Last Line of Defence |
| 2000 | Mindstorm | Rojack | Alternative titles: Artificial Telepathy Project: Human Weapon |
| Falcon Down Falcon Down Falcon Down was an action film from 2000 directed by Philip J. Roth and starring Dale Midkiff, William Shatner, Judd Nelson, Jennifer Rubin and Cliff Robertson.-Story:DVD synopsis: The biggest U.S... |
Security Guard John | ||
| 2001 | Ablaze | Curt Peters | |
| 2002 | Gale Force | Rance | |
| Hyper Sonic | The Executive | ||
| Landspeed Landspeed Landspeed is a 2002 film starring Billy Zane and Paul Butcher in his film debut.It is about an American team trying to break the Land Speed Record.... |
Bob Bailey | ||
| Dark Descent | Marty (Opening credits only) | Alternative title: Descent Into Darkness | |
| Antibody | Otto Emmerick | ||
| 2003 | Most | |
Alternative title: The Bridge, screenwriter & producer |
| 2004 | Roomies | Slick Salesman | Alternative title: Wild Roomies |
| 2007 | Smiley Face Smiley Face (film) Smiley Face is a 2007 American/German comedy film written by Dylan Haggerty and directed and co-produced by Gregg Araki. It stars Anna Faris as a young woman who has a series of misadventures after eating a large number of cupcakes laced with cannabis... |
Prison guard | |
| Cake: A Wedding Story Cake: A Wedding Story Cake: A Wedding Story is a 2007 comedy film directed by Will Wallace. The film hit the festival circuit in March 2007 with its world premiere at The Other Venice Film Festival on March 18, followed by a March 24 bow at the 2007 AFI Dallas International Film Festival.-Plot:When two star-crossed... |
Sam | Alternative title: Cake: A Wedding Comedy | |
| Starting from Scratch | Bill Bowman | ||
| 2008 | The Man in the Silo | Kevin | |
| 2010 | Hot Tub Time Machine Hot Tub Time Machine Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob... |
Rick | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981... |
Clarence Mortner, Jr. | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Gimme a Break! Gimme a Break! Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.-Premise:... |
Jeffery | 1 episode |
| CBS Schoolbreak Special After school special The American Broadcasting Company coined the term after school special in 1972 with a series of made for television movies, usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant issues, that were generally broadcast in the late afternoon and meant to be viewed by school age children, particularly... |
Rick Peterson | 1 episode | |
| 1984–1985 | E/R E/R E/R is an American television sitcom that aired in 1984 and 1985. Developed from a successful play of the same name, the series was produced by Embassy Television and lasted a single season.-Synopsis:... |
Druggie Kid/Thief | 1 episodes |
| 1985–1989 | The Equalizer | Scott McCall | 9 episodes |
| 1996 | To the Ends of Time | Alexander | Television movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 2000 | Epoch | Joe | Television movie |
| Python Python (film) Python is a made-for-TV horror movie directed by Richard Clabaugh. The film features several cult favorite actors, including William Zabka of The Karate Kid fame, Wil Wheaton, Casper Van Dien, Jenny McCarthy, Keith Coogan, Robert Englund , and Sean Whalen.The film concerns a... |
Greg Larsen | Television movie | |
| 2002 | Python II Python II Python II is a 2002 sequel to the 2000 film Python. The film stars Billy Zabka reprising his role as Greg Larson from the first film, along with Dana Ashbrook and Simmone Mackinnon.... |
Greg Larsen | Television movie, credited as Billy Zabka |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Nominated | Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama | The Karate Kid |
| 2004 | Academy Awards Academy Awards An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers... |
Best Short Film, Live Action | Most |