# Martin Kove

Martin Kove (/ˈkoʊv/; born March 6, 1946) is an American actor and martial artist. He is best known for his role as John Kreese, the main antagonist of The Karate Kid (1984). Kove reprised the role in The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and the television series Cobra Kai (2018–2025). He also appeared as Nero the Hero in Death Race 2000 (1975), and afterward as Clem in White Line Fever (1975). Kove was a regular on the TV series Cagney and Lacey (1982–1988), portraying Police Detective Victor Isbecki. He appeared in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

## Early life

Martin Kove was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City. He attended Valley Stream Central High School before attending ITT Technical Institute - Maumee Campus.

## Career

Kove worked as a substitute math teacher at the Ward Melville High School before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. From 1982 to 1988, Kove appeared in the main cast of Cagney & Lacey as New York City Detective Victor Isbecki, a supporting role he reprised in subsequent television movies for the series. During the same time, Kove appeared in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese, whose fighting instruction of showing “no mercy” and to “sweep the leg” during the film’s karate tournament entered the American zeitgeist. After playing a traitorous helicopter pilot in the 1985 film Rambo: First Blood Part II, he returned as Kreese for the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part II and the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid Part III.
In his seemingly only directorial effort, Kove directed a season 3 episode of Silk Stalkings entitled "These Stalkings are Too Hot" in 1994.
Kove studied Okinawa-te karate under prominent black belt Gordon Doversola Shihan.
Kove appeared in the 2007 music video for the song "Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings as a caricature of himself and John Kreese from The Karate Kid.
In 2018, Kove again returned to the character of Kreese for the YouTube Premium web series Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise set 34 years after the original film. The series debuted on May 2, 2018, and was met with critical success. The show was renewed for a second season, which was published on April 24, 2019. In June 2020, Netflix purchased the series, producing a third, fourth, fifth and sixth season.
In 2019, Kove parodied his Karate Kid character in a QuickBooks commercial, in which a kinder, gentler Kreese runs a "Koala Kai" dojo of preteen students who are encouraged to "support the leg" and to show "more mercy."
Kove was one of the celebrities competing on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars in 2021. He and his professional dance partner, Britt Stewart, were the first couple to be eliminated.

## Personal life

Kove is the father of twins, born in 1990. One of the twins, Jesse, portrayed the young man who bullies the younger version of his father’s character, John Kreese, in flashbacks for seasons 3 and 4 of Cobra Kai.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Little Murders | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Women in Revolt | Marty | |
| 1972 | Savages | Archie | |
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left | Deputy Harry | |
| 1973 | Cops and Robbers | Ambulance Attendant | |
| 1973 | The Road Movie | Weigh Station Cop | |
| 1974 | The Groove Tube | Butz Beer | |
| 1975 | The Wild Party | Editor | |
| 1975 | Capone | Peter "Goosey" Gusenberg | |
| 1975 | Death Race 2000 | Nero "The Hero" | |
| 1975 | White Line Fever | Clem | |
| 1976 | The Four Deuces | "Smokey" Ross | |
| 1977 | Mr. Billion | Texas Gambler | Uncredited |
| 1977 | The White Buffalo | Jack McCall | |
| 1979 | Seven | Skip | |
| 1980 | Laboratory | Gerard, Subject 32D |
| 1982 | Blood Tide | Neil Grice | |
| 1983 |
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1985 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | Michael Reed Ericson | |
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1987 | Steele Justice | John Steele | |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid Part III | Sensei John Kreese | |
| 1989 | President's Target | Sam Nicholson | |
| 1991 | White Light | Sean Craig | |
| 1992 | Project Shadowchaser | DeSilva | Direct-to-video |
| 1993 | Firehawk (film) | Stewart | Direct-to-video |
| 1992 | Shootfighter: Fight to the Death | Mr. Lee | |
| 1993 | Lightning in a Bottle | Duane Furber | |
| 1993 | The Outfit | Agent Baker | |
| 1993 | Karate Tiger 7: To Be the Best | Rick Kulhane | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp | Ed Ross | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone | Ed Ross | |
| 1994 | Endangered | DeVoe | |
| 1994 | Savage Land (film) | Jabal | |
| 1994 | Frank and Jesse | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Future Shock | Dr. Langdon | |
| 1994 | The Gambler V: Playing for keeps | Black Jack | |
| 1994 | Death Match | Paul Landis | |
| 1995 | Renegade: Fighting Cage | Mitch Raines | Direct-to-video |
| 1995 | Grizzly Mountain | Marshal Jackson | |
| 1995 | Final Equinox | Torman | |
| 1995 | Without Mercy | Wolf Larsen | |
| 1995 | Baby Face Nelson (1995 film) | John Dillinger | |
| 1996 | Timelock | Admiral Danny Teegs | |
| 1996 | Mercenary | Mr. Phoenix | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | Judge and Jury | Michael Silvano | |
| 1997 | Top of the World | Carl | |
| 1997 | Sliding Home | Samuel J. Weber | |
| 1998 | The Waterfront | James Ricks | |
| 1998 | Hyacinth | J.B. Walker | |
| 1998 | Joseph's Gift | Thompsonn | |
| 2000 | Nowhere Land | Hank | |
| 2000 | Strip 'n Run | Crow | |
| 2000 | Bad Guys | The Commander | |
| 2000 | A Drug Called Pornography | Narrator | Voice |
| 2001 | Final Payback | Captain Peter James | |
| 2001 | Black Scorpion Returns | Jack Ames | Direct-to-video |
| 2001 | Under Heavy Fire | Father Brazinski | |
| 2001 | Extreme Horror | Packard | |
| 2001 | Con Games | Timothy Redick | Direct-to-video |
| 2001 | Savage Season | Frank | |
| 2002 | Shattered Lies | Tom Reynolds | |
| 2002 | Crocodile 2: Death Swamp | Roland | |
| 2002 | American Gun (2002 film) | Theodore Huntley | |
| 2002 | Trance | Robert Leoni | |
| 2002 | Curse of the Forty-Niner | Caleb | |
| 2002 | Sting of the Black Scorpion | Jack Ames | Direct-to-video |
| 2003 | Devil's Knight | Zeff | Direct-to-video |
| 2004 | Illusion Infinity | Taxi Driver | |
| 2004 | Hollywood, It's a Dog's Life | The Clown | |
| 2005 | Glass Trap | Corrigan | |
| 2005 | Miracle at Sage Street | Jess | Deleted Scene(s) |
| 2006 | Seven Mummies | Kile | |
| 2006 | A-List | Red Carpet Star | |
| 2006 | Crooked | Jake Lawlor | |
| 2006 | Max Havoc: Ring of Fire | Lieutenant Reynolds | |
| 2006 | Fallen Angel's | Daniels | |
| 2006 | Exit 38 | Reese | Direct-to-video |
| 2007 | No More King's: Sweep the Leg | Sensei Kreese | Music Video |
| 2007 | Messages | DCI Collins | |
| 2007 | Revamped | Detective Reeger | Direct-to-video |
| 2007 | The Dead Sleep Easy | Bob DePugh | |
| 2007 | Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter | Detective Karpov | |
| 2008 | Beyond the Ring | Uncle Patrick | |
| 2008 | Man of a Thousand Faces | J. Carroll Naish | |
| 2008 | Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves | Sheriff Jones | |
| 2009 | Immortally Yours | Steven Miles | |
| 2009 | Middle Men | Senator | |
| 2009 | Ballistica | Riley | |
| 2010 | Dante's Inferno: Abandon All Hope | Speaker: 8th Circle - The Sowers of Discord | |
| 2010 | Bare Knuckles | Sonny Cool | |
| 2010 | The Ascent | Lewis | |
| 2011 | Carmen's Kiss | Drayton | |
| 2011 | Memphis Rising: Elvis Returns | Highway Patrol | |
| 2011 | The Great Fight | John Cooper | |
| 2011 | Dark Games | Detective Dave Reinhart | |
| 2011 | Savage | Jack Lund | |
| 2011 | The Life Zone | Randy Graves | |
| 2011 | Silent but Deadly | Hodge | |
| 2013 | Reality Terror Night | Othello Lazarus | |
| 2013 | I'm in Love with a Church Girl | Terry Edgemond | |
| 2013 | Friend Request | Captain Meyers | |
| 2013 | Jet Set | John | |
| 2014 | Falcon Song | Caspian | |
| 2014 | Eternity: The Movie | Barry Goldfield Sr. | |
| 2014 | Red Sky (2014 film) | Navy Intel Commander | |
| 2014 | Tapped Out | Principal Vanhorne | |
| 2014 | Stuff It | Big Hank | Short Film |
| 2014 | Number Runner | Bingo Brown | Direct-to-video |
| 2014 | Snapshot | Jack Adams | |
| 2014 | Rice Girl | Captain Ron Williams | |
| 2014 | The Extendables | Aye Lewis | |
| 2014 | As Night Comes | Projectionist | |
| 2014 | Tumbleweed: A True Story | Silver Bush | |
| 2015 | The End | John Doe | Short film |
| 2015 | The Dog Who Saved Summer | Vernon | |
| 2015 | Hardin | Mannen Clements Sr. | |
| 2015 | A Horse for Christmas | Carson | |
| 2015 | The Shadow | Will Troncalli | Short film |
| 2016 | Beyond the Gates (2016 film) | James Star | |
| 2016 | Wild Bill Hickok: Swift Justice | Rayord | |
| 2016 | Traded | Cavendish | |
| 2016 | Jokers Wild | Graham Palace | |
| 2016 | Six Gun Savior | The Mentor | |
| 2016 | Assassin X | Frank | |
| 2016 | Hospital Arrest | Boss Nigel | |
| 2017 | Garlic and Gunpowder | Agent Tracey | |
| 2017 | Price For Freedom | Ayotollah Khalkhali | |
| 2017 | Fake News | Vice President John Phillips | |
| 2017 | Bring Me A Dream | Sheriff Jack Miller | |
| 2018 | Gathering of Heroes: Legend of the Seven Swords | Galaron | |
| 2018 | Ellen Bond Secret Agent | Colonel Rachmann | Short film |
| 2018 | Show No Mercy | Frank | Short film |
| 2018 | Warning: No Trespassing | Marty the CIA agent | |
| 2018 | Paint It Red | Scabs | |
| 2019 | The Savant | John Sonsay | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Sheriff On Bounty Law | |
| 2019 | VFW | Lou Clayton | |
| 2019 | A Karate Christmas Miracle | Sam | |
| 2019 | D-Day: Battle of Omaha Beach | Nicholas | |
| 2019 | Bare Knuckle Brawler | Mike Calderon | |
| 2020 | Elvis From Outer Space | State Trooper | |
| 2020 | Finding Sara | Lemley | |
| 2020 | Max Reload and the Nether Blasters | Gramps Jenkins | |
| 2020 | Day 13 | Magnus | |
| 2020 | A Wrestling Christmas Miracle | Warden Jeffries | |
| 2021 | 3 Tickets to Paradise | Felix | |
| 2023 | Far Haven | Ambrose Masse | |
| 2024 | Fight Another Day | Fischer | |
| 2024 | Queen of the Ring | Al Haft | |
| 2024 | Dark Night of the Soul | Dad | |
| 2024 | The Cobra Kai Movie | Himself | Short film |
| 2025 | Killing Mary Sue † | Knox | Post-production |
| TBA | The Dink † | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | The Wild World of Mystery | Rollo | Episode: "The Spy Who Returned From The Dead" |
| 1974 | Police Story | Officer #2 | Episode: "Chief" |
| 1974 | McCloud (TV series) | Punk (Uncredited) | Episode: "This Must Be The Alamo" |
| 1974 | McMillan & Wife | Joe Smith | Episode: "Downshift to Danger" |
| 1974 | Rhoda | Gary | Episode: "Anything Wrong" |
| 1974 | Gunsmoke | Guthrie | Episode: "In Performance of Duty" |
| 1975 | Three for the Road | Unknown | Episode: "The Rip-off" |
| 1975 | Switch | Bud | Episode: "The Deadly Missiles Caper" |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Jimmy Jay | Episode: "Measure of Mercy" |
| 1976 | Kojak | Burl Stole | Episode: "Law Dance" |
| 1976 | The November Plan | Stan | Television film |
| 1976 | City of Angels (1976 TV series) | Stan | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Petrocelli | 1976 | Episode: "Six Strings of Guilt" |
| 1976 | Kingston: Confidential | Dealey | Episode: "Kingston" |
| 1976 | Kojak | Burl Stole | Episode: "Law Dance" |
| 1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Willis Hines | Episode: "The Drop" |
| 1977 | The Rockford Files | Harry Smick | Episode: "Dirty Money, Black Light" |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Pete Miller | Episode: "Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker" |
| 1977 | Code R | George Baker | 12 episodes |
| 1977 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | Denny Evans | Episode: "The Shortest Yard" |
| 1977 | Charlie's Angels | George | Episode: "Sammy Davis, Jr. Kidnap Caper" |
| 1977–1978 | We've Got Each Other | Ken Redford | 6 episodes |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk | Henry "Rocky" Welsh | Episode: "Final Round" |
| 1978–1979 | Barnaby Jones | Greg Saunders / Stan Benson | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Donovan's Kid | Kelso | Television film |
| 1979 | Quincy, M.E. | Joe | Episode: "The Death Challenge" |
| 1979 | Starsky & Hutch | Jimmy Lucas | Episode: "Birds of a Feather" |
| 1979 | The Magical World of Disney | Hoover | Episode: "The Sky Trap / Trampa en el cielo" |
| 1979 | The Runaway's | Mike | Episode: "Dreams of My Father" |
| 1979 | CHiPs | Joe Kirby | Episodes: "The Volunteers", "The Death Challenge", "Hot Wheels" |
| 1979 | A Man Called Sloane | Undisclosed Role | Episode: "Lady Bug" |
| 1980 | Tenspeed and Brown Shoe | Hell Hound Leader | Episode: "Savage Says: What Are Friends For?" |
| 1980 | Trouble In High Timber County | Willie Yeager | Television film |
| 1980 | Beyond Westworld | Jack Edwards | Episode: "Take-Over" |
| 1980–1981 | The Edge of Night | Romeo Slade | 16 episodes |
| 1982 | Cry for the Strangers | Jeff | Television film |
| 1982–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Victor Isbecki | Main role |
| 1983 | The Optimist | The Rival | Episode: "The Good, The Bad, and the Nasty" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Gary Ellison | Episode: "Armed Response" |
| 1985 | Wildside (TV drama) | Lyle Rainwood | Episode: "Don't Keep the Home Fires Burning" |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Joe | Episode: "Opening Day" |
| 1988 | Higher Ground | Rick Loden | Television film |
| 1989 | Hard Time on Planet Earth | Jesse | 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Without a Kiss Goodbye | Sheriff Harding | Television film |
| 1993 | Renegade | Mitch Raines / Goliath | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Tales from the Crypt | Police Officer | Episode: "Half-Way Horrible" |
| 1993–1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Chi'Ru Master | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Burke's Law (1994 TV series) | Joe Tanner | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Cagney & Lacey: The Return | Victor Isbecki | Television film |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Fred Kimble | Episode: "Flashback" |
| 1995 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Demetrius | Episode: "The Mother of All Monsters" |
| 1997 | Assault on Devil's Island | Andy Powers | TV film |
| 1998 | V.I.P. (American TV series) | Mr. Scornabacho | Episode: "Bloody Val-entine" |
| 1998–1999 | Diagnosis: Murder | Captain Walter Newman | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Assault on Death Mountain | Andy Powers | TV film |
| 2001 | Under Heavy Fire | Father Brazinski | Television film |
| 2001 | Black Scorpion | James Aimes / Firearm | Episode: "Armed and Dangerous" |
| 2002 | Gentle Ben | Cully | Television film |
| 2003 | Gentle Ben 2: Black Gold | Cully | |
| 2003 | Hard Ground | Floyd | Television film |
| 2003 | Barbarian | Munkar | Television film |
| 2004 | Alien Lockdown | Anslow | Television film |
| 2004 | Hollywood Mom's Mystery | Sandy Palumbo | Television film |
| 2009 | War Wolves | Malick | Television film |
| 2011 | Tosh.0 | John Kreese | Episode: "Broad Breaker" |
| 2011 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Cell Leader | Episode: "The Risky Business of Being Alone in Your Home" |
| 2012 | Smokewood | Rex Burnett | Television film |
| 2013 | Our Wild Hearts | Grizz | Television film |
| 2013 | Sketchy | Undisclosed Role | Episode: "It Doesn't Get Better" |
| 2015 | Criminal Minds | John Folkmore | Episode: "Scream" |
| 2016 | 2 Lava 2 Lantula! | Colonel Jester | Television film |
| 2017 | The Goldbergs | Master John | Episode: "The Kara-Te Kid" |
| 2017 | Bloodlands (TV series) | Sheriff Lonnie Dugan | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2018–2025 | Cobra Kai | John Kreese | Guest role (season 1); main role (seasons 2–6) |
| 2021 | Gravesend | Murray Zorwitz | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself / Contestant | Season 30 |
| 2024 | A Taste of Love | Glenn | Television film (Hallmark) |
| 2024 | The Roommates | Jerry | Episode: "The Magic Show" |

### Video games

* Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising (2022) as John Kreese (voice role)