William Zabka, a renowned American actor, writer, director, and musician, has a net worth of $3 million dollars. Zabka first gained international fame when he starred in The Karate Kid back in 1984, and his career has spanned several decades since then. He has also earned significant attention and accolades from the continuation series Cobra Kai, which debuted in May 2018 on Youtube and later found success on Netflix in August 2020.

Early Life and Career

William Zabka was born in New York City on October 20, 1965, to parents who worked in the film industry. His father was the assistant director on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the show’s first two seasons. William began acting in his late teens, and his first official credit was on the television series The Greatest American Hero. A year later, he landed the role of Johnny Lawrence, the high school bully who bullies Ralph Macchio’s character in The Karate Kid.

Success and Career Progression

The Karate Kid was a monumental success and went on to earn $100 million in the US alone, essentially launching a Karate craze globally. After his experience in the movie, William studied the martial art of Tang Soo Do and earned a second-degree green belt. Throughout the 80s, he went back and forth between film and television projects, appearing in such productions as Just One of the Guys, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, The Karate Kid: Part II, The Greatest American Hero, E/R, and The Equalizer.

In the 90s, he shifted his focus to production, though he did continue to land film roles intermittently, such as Shootfighter, The Power Within, and Interceptors. In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film Most, which went on to receive an Academy Award nomination. He also directed numerous music videos. Recently, he returned to acting after a long period behind the lens, appearing on an episode of How I Met Your Mother. As a commercial director, William has worked with brands such as Verizon and Little Tikes.

Cobra Kai and Net Worth

In 2017, William Zabka and Ralph Macchio teamed up with a group of producers to pitch a re-booted series based on their Karate Kid characters. They received offers from several studios, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Apple, but ultimately selected YouTube Red as the winning bidder. Both Ralph and William reportedly earned $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons, which worked out to around $1 million per season. They serve as co-executive producers on the project. The series, which is executive produced by Will Smith, has found new success on Netflix, where it has become one of the most popular shows on the platform. The show will air at least four total seasons on Netflix.

Personal Life

William Zabka has been married to Stacie Zabka since 2008, and the couple has two children together. Zabka is also a musician, and he and friend Cortney Cox played together in the band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which formed in the mid-80s.

In Conclusion

William Zabka has maintained a successful entertainment industry career that spans decades, with multiple accolades and an estimated net worth of $3 million. His role in The Karate Kid launched him to international fame, and his more recent work on Cobra Kai has further solidified his status as a celebrated actor, writer, and director.