Martin Kove (born March 6, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor most renowned for playing John Kreese in the 1984 cult film The Karate Kid and the 2018 series Cobra Kai. He has also featured in major roles in TV series including Code R, The Edge of Night, Cagney & Lacey, and Hard Time on Planet Earth.
Following several auditions, Kove made his film debut in a minor role in the 1971 film titled Little Murders, where he played an uncredited role. Also in 1971, Kove featured in another role as Marty in a satire film titled Women in Revolt, produced by Andy Warhol. Kove learnt martial arts as a kid. His knowledge of martial art forms made him the perfect choice for several action movies including Death Race 2000 (1975), Cops and Robbers, Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Capone, Blood Tide, and The Karate Kid.
The Karate Kid (1984) remains one of his most successful movies. Two years after the release of The Karate Kid, Kove featured in the sequel, The Karate Kid Part II and the next, The Karate Kid Part III in 1989. In 2019, Kove portrayed the role of a sheriff in the “TV show within a film” section of the Quentin Tarantino period comedy-drama film titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Actresses, Film and TV, TV Personality
Actresses, Film and TV
Actors, Film and TV
Actresses, Film and TV