William Zabka Net Worth

Posted by Jenniffer Sheldon on Saturday, May 18, 2024

William Zabka net worth is
$500,000

William Zabka Wiki Biography

William Michael Zabka is an American actor, director, and producer. He was born on the 21st of October, 1965, in New York City. He is best known for his role in the 1984 film “The Karate Kid”. He is of Czech ancestry.

With an acting career reaching back to the 1980s, how rich is William Zabka? Sources estimate his net worth at $500 thousand.

William Zabka Net Worth $500,000

Zabka’s parents both worked in the entertainment industry. His mother was a production assistant, and his father was a writer, composer, and director, who worked on such programmes as “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”. His first taste of acting came at the age of five, when he took part in a production of “The Three Little Pigs”, playing the Big Bad Wolf. Having featured in some television commercials for products such as Pepsi and Kool-Aid, Zabka’s debut movie role was in “The Karate Kid”, where he played the villain, high school bully Johnny Lawrence. He would later reprise the role in the 1986 sequel, “The Karate Kid Part II”. He has since described his relationship with fellow “Karate Kid” cast members as being fraternity-like.

Further movie roles followed, where Zabka would often play jocks or bullies, in films such as “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” in 1985, and “Back to School” in 1986. He switched back and forth between films and television, appearing in shows such as “E/R” in 1985, and as Scott McCall in “The Equalizer” between 1985-1989. More recently, he has had a recurring role on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”. His most recent acting credit was in “The Man in the Silo” (2016).

During the 1990s and 2000s, Zabka trained to become a filmmaker. In 2003, he wrote and produced his first short film, “Most”, which was directed by Bobby Garabedian. Shot in the Czech Republic and Poland, it tells the horrifying story of a railway bridge-operating father, whose son becomes trapped in the gears of the bridge. The father is forced to keep lowering the bridge, despite it killing his son, so that the train does not derail. It was nominated for several awards. It was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for “Best Short Film”.

In 2007, Zabka made his directorial debut with a music video for the band “No More Kings” The song was called “Sweep the Leg”. Zabka also starred in the video, parodying himself as still obsessed with his “Karate Kid” character, Johnny Lawrence. It also featured an appearance from his co-star, Ralph Macchio. He directed another music video three years later, for “Rascal Flatts”.

In his personal life, Zabka married his partner, Stacie, in 2008. He practices the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do, and has achieved the rank of black belt. Despite often playing bullies, Zabka has spoken out publicly against them, stating at a Karate event in Maryland, “bullying is never cool – not when you can be the hero in your own story”.


Full NameWilliam Zabka
Net Worth$500,000
Date Of BirthOctober 21, 1965
Place Of BirthNew York City, New York, United States
Height1.84 m
ProfessionActor
NationalityAmerican
SpouseStacie Zabka (m. 2008)
ParentsNancy Zabka, Stanley Zabka
SiblingsGuy Zabka, Judy Zabka
NicknamesWilliam Billy Zabka , William Michael "Billy" Zabka , Billy , Billy Zabka , William Michael Zabka
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/williamzabka
IMDBhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0951420/
NominationsAcademy Award for Best Short Film (Live Action)
MoviesThe Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, Just One of the Guys, Back to School, Where Hope Grows, Shootfighter: Fight to the Death, Hot Tub Time Machine, National Lampoon's European Vacation, Python, Pythons 2, The Power Within, Most, Interceptor Force, The Dog Who Saved Summer, Mindstorm, Cross, Anti...
#Trademark
1Has essayed the "class bully" role in several memorable teen-oriented films
#Quote
1You know, all 'The Karate Kid' fans from the original are parents these days. I think it's a cool thing.
2I didn't set out to be a villain in film. I'm a character actor, and if my first movie was a comedy, I could have played a geek just as well.
3Strangely, when I was a kid, my first acting job, at 5 years old, was a performance of 'The Three Little Pigs.' They cast me as the Big Bad Wolf.
4Sometimes you become a character, and sometimes the character becomes you.
5Back when I was maybe 19, guys would go, 'I can kick your butt!' So I had a few showdowns. To my advantage, I learned martial arts, and what you really learn is not to fight.
6Prior to 'The Karate Kid', I did commercials - Kool-Aid, Pepsi, milk - and I had always been cast as the all-American nice guy.
7My training in martial arts was kind of a crash course in how to look like a black belt. I know the moves of a black belt - my kicks, and my stretches, and my punches and all that.
#Fact
1His surname pronounced as "ZHAP-kuh". It means "little frog".
2After 20 years, fans continue to recognize and address him as Johnny Lawrence from The Karate Kid (1984), which he loves... but not as much as he loves being an uncle to his sister Judy's daughter and son.
3Has a sister, Judy.
4Is an accomplished singer/musician/songwriter, as is his brother Guy.
5Speaks Czech fluently.
6His paternal grandfather was Czech, and his paternal grandmother was born in Nebraska, to Czech parents.
7He was not at all experienced in martial arts prior to the filming of The Karate Kid (1984). He was actually an accomplished wrestler. However, in the years since, he has earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do.

All pictures

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Man in the Silo2016Kevin
Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street2015TV SeriesSensei Jeff
The Dog Who Saved Summer2015Officer Johnny
To Appomattox2015TV Mini-SeriesJohn Rawlins
Where Hope Grows2014Milton (as Billy Zabka)
How I Met Your Mother2013-2014TV SeriesBilly Zabka / Clown
Psych2014TV SeriesCoach Baggs
Robot Chicken2013TV SeriesJohnny Lawrence Colonel Steven Shay Werewolf
Cross2011VideoGriff
Jimmy Kimmel Live!2011TV SeriesJohnny Lawrence
Mean Parents Suck2010Detective Ted Clement (as Billy Zabka)
Hot Tub Time Machine2010Rick
Starting from Scratch2007Bill Bowman
Cake: A Wedding Story2007Sam
Smiley Face2007Prison Guard
Wild Roomies2004/ISlick Salesman
Antibody2002VideoEmmerich
Descent Into Darkness2002Marty
Python 22002VideoGreg Larson (as Billy Zabka)
Landspeed2002Bob Bailey
Hyper Sonic2002VideoThe Executive
Gale Force2002VideoRance
Epoch2001TV MovieRover Driver Joe
Ablaze2001Curt Peters
Falcon Down2001Security Guard John
18 Wheels of Justice2001TV SeriesDet. Barron
Mindstorm2001/IIRojack
Python2000TV MovieGreg Larsen
Interceptor Force1999Dave
High Voltage1997Bulldog
To the Ends of Time1996TV MovieAlexander
Shootfighter II1996Ruben
The Power Within1995VideoRaymond Vonn
Unlawful Passage1994Howie
Shootfighter: Fight to the Death1993Ruben
For Parents Only1991Ted
Protect and Surf1989TV MovieRussell Cooper
The Equalizer1985-1989TV SeriesScott McCall
A Tiger's Tale1987Randy
Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story1986TV MovieKim Fisher
The Karate Kid Part II1986Johnny
Back to School1986Chas
National Lampoon's European Vacation1985Jack
Just One of the Guys1985Greg Tolan
E/R1985TV SeriesPhilly
CBS Schoolbreak Special1984TV SeriesRick Peterson
Gimme a Break!1984TV SeriesJeffrey
The Karate Kid1984Johnny
The Greatest American Hero1983TV SeriesClarence Mortner Jr.

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Never a Neverland2014Documentary executive producer
Mzungu (n.) White-Wanderer2010Documentary co-producer
Most2003Short producer

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Most2003Short

Editorial Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Never a Neverland2014Documentary additional editor

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Way of the Karate Kid2005Video documentary short special thanks - as Billy Zabka

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs2017Documentary post-productionHimself
Dish Nation2014TV Series
Going to Bed with Terri Ivens2014TV SeriesHimself - Guest
Actor's Day in LA2010TV SeriesHimself
The Way of the Karate Kid2005Video documentary shortHimself / Johnny

Archive Footage

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2004OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Short Film, Live ActionMost (2003)
1985Young Artist AwardYoung Artist AwardsBest Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or DramaThe Karate Kid (1984)

Known for movies


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