Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Martin Kove

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Martin Kove
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:22
3 Tickets to Paradise (2021)
42 Videos
83 Photos
Martin Kove was born on March 6, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Strong-featured, narrow-eyed actor who has portrayed a mixed bag of both good guys and bad guys. He first turned up on screen in several minor roles, and was noticed as the villainous Nero the Hero in the low-budget road race Death Race 2000 (1975), and then as Clem the sadistic rigger, breaking Jan-Michael Vincent's ribs in White Line Fever (1975). He cropped up on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1981) portraying honest Police Detective Isbecki, and then ended up on the wrong side of a rampaging Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).

Kove probably scored his greatest visibility to the public in the hugely successful The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head instructor of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in the two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). Kove has since kept consistently busy, primarily in the action-thriller film genre, and has notched up over 80 film appearances to date, as well as numerous television guest roles.
BornMarch 6, 1947
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMarch 6, 1947
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 9 wins & 3 nominations

Photos83

Sidney Clute, Martin Kove, Michael Pataki, and Dennis Weaver in McCloud (1970)
Martin Kove and Enn Reitel in The Optimist (1983)
Martin Kove in The Optimist (1983)
Martin Kove in The Optimist (1983)
Martin Kove and William Zabka in The Karate Kid (1984)
Martin Kove and William Zabka in The Karate Kid (1984)
Martin Kove in The Karate Kid (1984)
Martin Kove, Peyton List, and Tanner Buchanan in Cobra Kai (2018)
Martin Kove, William Zabka, Peyton List, and Jacob Bertrand in Obstáculos (2021)
Martin Kove in Nature vs. Nurture (2021)
Ralph Macchio, Martin Kove, and William Zabka in The Good, The Bad, and the Badass (2021)
Martin Kove and William Zabka in The Right Path (2021)

Known for

Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid
7.3
  • Kreese
  • 1984
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
The Karate Kid Part III
5.3
  • Kreese
  • 1989
Sylvester Stallone, David Carradine, and Simone Griffeth in Death Race 2000 (1975)
Death Race 2000
6.2
  • Nero the Hero
  • 1975
Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rambo: First Blood Part II
6.5
  • Ericson
  • 1985

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Dante's Hell
    • Speaker - 8th Circle: Bertran De Born
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • A Taste of Love
    • Glenn
    • Post-production
  • The Highwayman
    • Roan Blackthorn
    • Post-production
  • Fight Another Day
    • Fischer
    • Post-production
  • HOLLYWOODLAND of HOPE & LIES
    • Martin Kove
    • In Development
  • The Roommates
    • Jerry
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Pat Morita, Martin Kove, Joe Estevez, Dean Haglund, Cat Ling, Ian Lithgow, Fred Toma, Shu Lan Tuan, and Jacqeline Jetter in Rice Girl Goes Hollywood (2023)
    Rice Girl Goes Hollywood
    • Captain Ronald
    • TV Series
    • 2023
  • Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising (2022)
    Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising
    • John Kreese (voice)
    • Video Game
    • 2022
  • Thomas Ian Griffith, Ralph Macchio, Yuji Okumoto, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Oona O'Brien, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Jacob Bertrand, Vanessa Rubio, Tanner Buchanan, Gianni DeCenzo, Xolo Maridueña, and Dallas Dupree Young in Cobra Kai (2018)
    Cobra Kai
    • John Kreese
    • TV Series
    • 2018–2022
  • William DeMeo and James Russo in Gravesend (2020)
    Gravesend
    • Murray Zorwitz
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • 3 Tickets to Paradise (2021)
    3 Tickets to Paradise
    • Felix
    • 2021
  • Dean McDermott: Working Actor
    • Dylan (2018)
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Ken Del Vecchio, Buddy Fitzpatrick, Julie McCullough, Mario Del Vecchio, and Candy Fox in A Wrestling Christmas Miracle (2020)
    A Wrestling Christmas Miracle
    • Warden Jeffries
    • 2020
  • Day 13 (2020)
    Day 13
    • Magnus Torvald
    • 2020
  • Kevin Smith, Lin Shaye, Martin Kove, Greg Grunberg, Joseph D. Reitman, Jesse Kove, Tom Plumley, Lukas Gage, Hassie Harrison, Joey Morgan, Taylor Dahl, Richard Lippert, and Ryan Harrison Riffle in Max Reload and the Nether Blasters (2020)
    Max Reload and the Nether Blasters
    • Gramps Jenkins
    • 2020
  • Finding Sara (2020)
    Finding Sara
    • Lemley
    • 2020
  • George Thomas in Elvis from Outer Space (2020)
    Elvis from Outer Space
    • State Trooper
    • 2020
  • April Bogenschutz, Martin Kove, Tyler Mane, and Jesse Kove in Bring Me a Dream (2020)
    Bring Me a Dream
    • Sheriff Jack Miller
    • 2020
  • Bare Knuckle Brawler (2019)
    Bare Knuckle Brawler
    • Mike Calderon
    • 2019
  • George Wendt, Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, William Sadler, Martin Kove, David Patrick Kelly, Sierra McCormick, and Tom Williamson in VFW (2019)
    VFW
    • Lou Clayton
    • 2019
  • David Tom, Martin Kove, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Weston Cage, and Jesse Kove in D-Day: Battle of Omaha Beach (2019)
    D-Day: Battle of Omaha Beach
    • Nicholas
    • 2019

Producer

  • Six Gun Savior (2016)
    Six Gun Savior
    • associate producer
    • 2016
  • Martin Kove and Jeanette Roxborough in Bare Knuckles (2010)
    Bare Knuckles
    • co-producer
    • 2010
  • Paul Logan and CB Ferrari in Ballistica (2009)
    Ballistica
    • associate producer
    • 2009
  • Curse of the Forty-Niner (2002)
    Curse of the Forty-Niner
    • associate producer
    • 2002

Director

  • Mitzi Kapture and Rob Estes in Silk Stalkings (1991)
    Silk Stalkings
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 1994
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos43

Death Race 2000
Clip 1:09
Death Race 2000
Falcon Song
Clip 1:37
Falcon Song
I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
Clip 1:00
I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
Clip 1:08
I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
"Cobra Kai" Serves Up "Bad Senseis" and Love Triangles
Interview 3:22
"Cobra Kai" Serves Up "Bad Senseis" and Love Triangles
Trailer
Trailer 1:29
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:04
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 1:35
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 1:44
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:22
Official Trailer
Season 3 Trailer
Trailer 2:15
Season 3 Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:55
Official Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Cameo
    • Facebook
  • Alternative names
    • Marty Cove
  • Height
    • 6′ (1.83 m)
  • Born
    • March 6, 1947
    • Brooklyn, New York, USA
  • Spouse
    • Vivienne Kove1981 - 2005 (divorced, 2 children)
  • Children
      Jesse Kove
  • Parents
    • Jesse Kove
  • Other works
    (1980s-1990s) TV commercials: Following the success of The Karate Kid (1984), he performed in a memorable TV spot for King Cobra Beer. ("Don't let the smooth taste fool you!").
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Injured his hand during the fateful fight scene between his character, John Kreese, and Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid Part II (1986). The effects team ill-timed one of the car window shattering shots, causing Kove to inadvertently break the prop window with his own fist. He sustained several injuries to his hand but continued filming.
  • Quotes
    [on one of his most famous roles, in The Karate Kid (1984)] Over the years, kids have come up to me in places like supermarkets, and hit me and said things like, "You hurt Ralph (Ralph Macchio)!". It makes me feel like the Darth Vader of the contemporary cinematic world. As Sensei John Kreese, I'm truly hated and I love it. I had no idea how much anxiety people would be releasing by hating this character.
  • Trademark
      Square Jaw and Cleft Chin
  • Nickname
    • Marty

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
List
The Best Things to Watch in June
See the list
Production art
Photos
See These Trending Actors in Early Roles
Can you place the face?

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of Martin Kove’s work you have seen. Go to your list.
Production art
Photos
LGBTQIA+ Power Couples of Hollywood
See the photos

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.