
William Zabka
William Michael "Billy" Zabka (born October 20, 1965) is an American actor, martial artist, screenwriter, and film producer. Zabka is best known for his role of Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and decades later reprises the role of Johnny in the Netflix series Cobra Kai (2018-), along with Ralph Macchio as Daniel. During the 1980s, Zabka appeared 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 as the son of the title character (1986–89). He also played Jack, Audrey's jock boyfriend, in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). During the 1990s and 2000s, he 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, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Most in the Live Action Short Film category.
Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014

Psych
2006

How I Met Your Mother
2005

Cobra Kai
2018

The Equalizer
1985

MTV Movie & TV Awards
1992

Karate Kid: Legends
2025

The Karate Kid
1984

The Greatest American Hero
1981

The Karate Kid Part II
1986

Hot Tub Time Machine
2010

Back to School
1986

Smiley Face
2007

Just One of the Guys
1985

Reunited Apart
2020

Where Hope Grows
2014

National Lampoon's European Vacation
1985

E/R
1984

Python
2000

The Netflix Afterparty
2021

Shootfighter: Fight to the Death
1993

Cobra Kai: Inside the Dojo
2024

Cross
2011

The Power Within
1995