Photo: Supercon Conventions / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
William Zabka is credited as an actor, film director and film producer. Born on October 20, 1965, William Zabka is from New York City, New York, United States. That works out to 61 years old in 2026. Education on record includes El Camino Real High School.
My Take
William Zabka is one of those actors who basically became a cultural shorthand — say "Karate Kid bully" and everyone pictures Johnny Lawrence, that blond, crane-kick-receiving villain from 1984. For years that role was his calling card and, honestly, kind of a ceiling. But what really gets me is what he did with it decades later: when Cobra Kai landed on YouTube Premium and then Netflix, Zabka didn't just dust off a nostalgia act — he delivered a genuinely layered performance that made Johnny sympathetic, funny, and tragic all at once. The show earned him real awards buzz and an Emmy nomination, which felt like the universe finally catching up. Born in New York City and also a writer-director behind the scenes, this guy has more dimensions than the one-note villain pop culture wanted to keep him as. Career-arc-wise, few redemption stories in Hollywood hit quite this satisfying.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- William Zabka
- Name (Japanese)
- ウィリアム・ザブカ
- Reading
- うぃりあむ・ざぶか
- Born
- October 20, 1965 (age 61)
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- actor / screenwriter / film director / film producer / film screenwriter
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Snake
2. Background
- High school
- El Camino Real High School
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was William Zabka born?
William Zabka was born on October 20, 1965 and is 61 years old.
Where is William Zabka from?
William Zabka is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does William Zabka do?
William Zabka works as actor, screenwriter, film director, film producer, film screenwriter.
Which high school did William Zabka attend?
William Zabka attended El Camino Real High School.
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