Martin Kove - wikipedia Martin Kove Martin Kove Kove in 2016 ( 1946 - 03 - 06 ) March 6, 1946 ( age 72 ) Brooklyn, New York, United States Occupation Actor Years active 1971 -- present Spouse ( s ) Vivienne Kove ( m. 1981 -- 2005 ) Children Martin Kove ( born March 6, 1946 ) is an American film and television actor most recognized for his role as the psychopathic Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese in the Karate Kid film series. He is also known for his work in films such as Rambo : First Blood Part II ( 1985 ) and on TV series such as Cagney & Lacey as Victor Isbecki. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Filmography 3.1 Film 3.2 Television 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Early life Martin Kove was born in Brooklyn, New York City and had a Jewish upbringing. Career Kove appeared as Cully in the 1967 - 1969 CBS series, Gentle Ben, with Dennis Weaver and Clint Howard. He was cast as George Baker in the short - lived CBS series Code R ( 1977 ) about the emergency services ( fire, police, and ocean rescue ) in the California Channel Islands. His co-stars were James Houghton, Tom Simcox, and Joan Freeman. He also starred in the short - lived science fiction series Hard Time on Planet Earth and made guest appearances on several television programs including Gunsmoke, Three for the Road, Kojak, Quincy, M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Hercules : The Legendary Journeys, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, and Black Scorpion. Kove was a cast member on the 1982 -- 1988 CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki. Kove appeared in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese. After playing a traitorous helicopter pilot in the 1985 film Rambo : First Blood Part II, he reprised his role as Kreese in the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid, Part II and the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid, Part III. He studied Okinawa - te Karate under prominent black belt Gordon Doversola Shihan. Kove appeared in Kung Fu : The Legend Continues as the Shadow Assassin in Episode 3, Season 1, `` Shadow Assassin '', which aired on 3 February 1993, and in Episode 23, Season 2, which aired on 26 January 1994. In 2007, Kove appeared in the No More Kings video `` Sweep The Leg '', in a parody of his Karate Kid character. He appeared on Tosh. 0 as his character from The Karate Kid, John Kreese, where he spoofed the final fight on the `` Board Breaker Web Redemption ''. At the end of the skit, Daniel Tosh, dressed as Mr. Miyagi, honks Kove 's nose, a reference to Mr. Miyagi 's action in the scene at the beginning of The Karate Kid, Part II. In 2018, Kove made a cameo appearance as John Krease in Cobra Kai, a sequel series of the Karate Kid franchise which is set 34 years after the 1984 film. Kove is confirmed to have a featured role in the second season of the series which is scheduled to air on YouTube Red in 2019. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1971 Little Murders Uncredited Women in Revolt Marty 1972 Savages Archie The Last House on the Left Deputy 1973 Cops and Robbers Ambulance Attendant The Wild Party Editor Capone Pete Gusenberg Death Race 2000 Nero the Hero White Line Fever Clem 1976 The Four Deuces Smokey Ross 1977 The White Buffalo Jack McCall 1979 Seven Skip 1982 Cry For The Strangers Jeff Television film Blood Tide Neil Grice 1984 The Karate Kid Sensei John Kreese 1985 Rambo : First Blood Part II Ericson 1986 The Karate Kid, Part II Sensei John Kreese Steele Justice John Steele 1989 The Karate Kid, Part III Sensei John Kreese 1991 White Light Sean Craig Project Shadowchaser Desilva Direct - to - video Shootfighter : Fight to the Death Mr. Lee Wyatt Earp Ed Ross Cagney & Lacey : The Return Victor Isbecki Television film Timelock Admiral Danny Teegs Mercenary Phoenix 2000 Nowhere Land Hank 2001 Under Heavy Fire Father Brazinski Television film 2002 Crocodile 2 : Death Swamp Roland Curse of the Forty - Niner Caleb 2003 Hard Ground Floyd Television film Barbarian Munkar 2005 Glass Trap Corrigan Miracle at Sage Street Jess 2006 Max Havoc : Ring of Fire Lt. Reynolds 2007 The Dead Sleep Easy Bob Depugh 2008 Chinaman 's Chance : America 's Other Slaves Sheriff Jones 2009 War Wolves Malick Television film Middle Men US Senator 2011 Savage Jack Lund 2014 Falcon Song Caspian Eternity : The Movie Barry Goldfield, Sr. Tapped Out Principal Vanhorne The Extendables 2015 The Dog Who Saved Summer Vernon 2016 Traded Cavendish Jokers Wild Graham Palace 2017 Bring Me A Dream Sheriff Jack Miller 2018 Paint It Red Scabs 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Filming Television Year Title Role Episode ( s ) Gunsmoke Guthrie `` In Performance of Duty '' Three for the Road `` The Rip - off '' 1976 Kojak Burl Stole `` Law Dance '' The Streets of San Francisco Willis Hines `` The Drop '' 1977 The Rockford Files Harry Smick `` Dirty Money, Black Light '' Code R George Baker 12 episodes The San Pedro Beach Bums `` The Shortest Yard '' 1977 -- 1978 We 've Got Each Other Ken Redford 5 episodes 1978 The Incredible Hulk Henry `` Rocky '' Welsh `` Final Round '' 1978 -- 1979 Barnaby Jones Greg Saunders, Stan Benson 2 episodes 1979 Quincy, M.E. Joe Kirby `` The Death Challenge '' 1982 -- 1988 Cagney & Lacey Victor Isbecki 113 episodes 1985 Murder, She Wrote Dr. Ellison `` Armed Response '' 1989 Hard Time on Planet Earth Jess 13 episodes Renegade Mitch Raines / Goliath 2 episodes 1993 -- 1994 Kung Fu : The Legend Continues Chi'Ru Master 2 episodes 1995 Walker, Texas Ranger Fred Kimble `` Flashback '' Hercules : The Legendary Journeys Demetrius `` The Mother of All Monsters '' 1998 -- 1999 Diagnosis : Murder Captain Walter Newman 3 episodes 2001 Black Scorpion James Ames / Firearm `` Armed and Dangerous '' 2011 Tosh. 0 John Kreese `` Broad Breaker '' 2015 Criminal Minds John Folkmore `` Scream '' 2017 The Goldbergs Karate Sensai `` The Kara - Te Kid '' 2018 Cobra Kai John Kreese `` Quiver '' ( flashback ) `` Mercy '' References Jump up ^ `` Martin Kove Biography ( 1947 - ) ''. Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chicago Sun - Times : : Search ''. Nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Interview with Martin Kove ''. Kung - fu Kingdom. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ballinger Publishing - Star of Karate Kid talks with Ballinger Publishing ''. Ballingerpublishing.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Martin Kove ''. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ https://deadline.com/2018/05/cobra-kai-martin-kove-series-regular-season-2-youtube-red-show-1202397797/ Jump up ^ THE EXTENDABLES Trailer on YouTube Further reading Voisin, Scott, `` Character Kings : Hollywood 's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting. '' BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59393 - 342 - 5. External links Biography portal Martin Kove on IMDb BNF : cb14045711b ( data ) ISNI : 0000 0000 0111 9055 LCCN : n89116317 VIAF : 56812015 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_Kove&oldid=854618366 '' Categories : 1946 births Living people American male karateka American male film actors 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors Jewish American male actors Male actors from New York City People from Brooklyn American male television actors Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu تۆرکجه Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Magyar 日本 語 Norsk Polski Русский Suomi Українська 9 more Edit links This page was last edited on 12 August 2018, at 17 : 11 ( UTC ). 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Question: who played the cobra kai sensei in the karate kid
Answer: Martin Kove