William Zabka is an American actor, writer, and director with a net worth of $3 million. He first gained international fame for his role in the 1984 blockbuster “The Karate Kid.” Zabka’s career received a significant boost with the rebooted continuation series “Cobra Kai,” which debuted in May 2018 on YouTube and gained substantial popularity after moving to Netflix in August 2020.
| William Zabka Net Worth | $3 Million |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1965 |
| Place of Birth | New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, Writer, Director |
Early Life
William Zabka was born on October 20, 1965, in New York. Both of his parents were involved in the film industry. His father even served as the assistant director on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” during Johnny’s first two seasons as host.
Zabka began acting in his late teens, with his first official credit on the television series “The Greatest American Hero.” A year later, he landed the iconic role of Johnny Lawrence, the high school bully in “The Karate Kid.” According to legend, Zabka won the role after Ralph Macchio told producers he “scared the shit out of me” during the audition. Though he had no previous karate experience, he was a high school wrestler.
Success
“The Karate Kid” was a massive success, earning $100 million in the US on a budget of $8 million and sparking a global karate craze. Inspired by his role, Zabka later studied the martial art of Tang Soo Do, earning a second-degree green belt.
Throughout the 80s, Zabka appeared in both films and television, including “Just One of the Guys,” “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” “The Karate Kid: Part II,” “The Greatest American Hero,” “E/R,” and “The Equalizer.”
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In the 90s, Zabka shifted his focus to production but continued to act in films like “Shootfighter,” “The Power Within,” and “Interceptors.” In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film “Most,” which received an Academy Award nomination. He also directed numerous music videos and returned to acting with a guest appearance on “How I Met Your Mother.” As a commercial director, Zabka has worked with brands like Verizon and Little Tikes.
Cobra Kai
In 2017, William Zabka and Ralph Macchio collaborated with producers to pitch a reboot series based on their “Karate Kid” characters. They received offers from several studios, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Apple, but ultimately chose YouTube Red. Both Zabka and Macchio reportedly earned $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons, totaling around $1 million per season each. They also serve as co-executive producers on the project, with Will Smith’s company Overbrook Productions holding the rights from Jerry Weintraub’s company, Weintraub Entertainment Group.
The first season of “Cobra Kai” was released in May 2018 to universal acclaim but suffered from low viewership on YouTube Red. The show’s fortunes changed when it moved to Netflix in August 2020, where it became one of the platform’s most popular shows. The series is set to air at least four seasons on Netflix.
William Zabka Net Worth
William Zabka net worth is $3 million.
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