William Zabka Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

William Zabka is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer who got his acting career to a roaring start with the famous movie, The Karate Kid, in which he was cast as the main antagonist. That role helped him bag some more prominent class bully roles. But, he eventually stepped away from such roles and started focusing on independent movies to sate his creative urges.

Born Name

William Michael Zabka

Nick Name

Billy

Sun Sign

Libra

Born Place

New York City, New York, United States

Nationality

Education

William Zabka attended the El Camino Real Charter High School in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Occupation

Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Martial Artist, Poet

Family

• Father – Stanley William Zabka (Director, Writer, and Composer)
• Mother – Nancy Zabka (Business Liaison, Producer, and Production Assistant)
• Siblings – Judy Zabka (Sister) (Singer, Songwriter, Composer), Guy Zabka (Brother) (Singer, Songwriter, Composer)
• Others – Frank Zabka (Paternal Grandfather), Marie Geraldine Buresh (Paternal Grandmother)

Manager

William Zabka is represented by Los Angeles-based Advanced Management.

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 10½ in or 179 cm

Weight

74 kg or 163 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

William Zabka has dated –

1. Stacie Lynn Doss (2008-Present) – In 2008, William Zabka got married to Stacie Lynn Doss. They had been dating for quite some time.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He has Czech ancestry on his father’s side.

Hair Color

Blonde

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Prominent nose

Brand Endorsements

William Zabka has appeared in the TV commercials for the following brands –

• Buffalo Wild Wings (2015)
• Pepsi
• Kool-Aid
• Tilex

Best Known For

• Having played the role of Johnny Lawrence in the martial arts drama movie, The Karate Kid
• Having appeared in numerous popular TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother (2013-2014), Robot Chicken (2013), Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street (2015), and Psych (2014)
• Being cast in important roles in popular 80s movies such as Just One of the Guys (1985), National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985), Back to School (1986), and A Tiger’s Tale (1987)

First Film

In 1984, he made his theatrical film debut as Johnny Lawrence in the drama movie, The Karate Kid. It proved to be a career-defining movie of his career.

First TV Show

In 1983, William Zabka made his first TV show appearance in the Space Ranger episode of the comedy-drama TV series, The Greatest American Hero.

Personal Trainer

To prepare for his role in comedy-drama show, Cobra Kai, in which he essayed his popular character from The Karate Kid, he undertook special training regime. He was trained by Chad Landers, who has worked with leading Hollywood actors. Zabka worked out 3 to 4 times a week.

As they had limited time, Landers decided to get Zabka through full body workout sessions. He included a pull exercise and leg exercise along with some cardio work in each session. Landers alternated strength training with interval cardio work. For example, after completing 5 sets of strength training exercise, he got Zabka to sprint on the treadmill and repeat it again and again. They often finished the workout with isolation exercises.

When it came to nutrition, Zabka wasn’t asked to follow any specific diet. He was asked to eat as much as lean proteins and vegetables as he could. He was also told to avoid liquid calories as you can easily overconsume in such cases.

William Zabka Facts

1. He is an accomplished musician and can flawlessly play piano and guitar.
2. When he bagged his iconic role in The Karate Kid, he didn’t have any prior training in martial arts. He had to undertake special training to prepare for his role. He was an accomplished wrestler when he went in for the auditions and it helped him in securing the role of the main antagonist in the iconic movie.
3. Over the year, he has taken formal training in Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial arts form, and has managed to earn a 2nd-degree green belt in it.
4. After he became too infamous for playing class bully roles, he decided to refrain from such roles. In fact, he was harassed by random people in public because of the negative roles that he had played.
5. In 2003, he decided to turn writer and producer for the short film, Most. The movie was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win multiple awards at prestigious film festivals.
6. In December 2020, he received the “Zero to Hero” award at the 2020 MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time.

Featured Image by Super Festivals / Flickr / CC BY-2.0