William Zabka Net Worth

What is William Zabka's Net Worth and Salary?

William Zabka is an American actor, writer, and director who has a net worth of $4 million. William Zabka rose to fame in the 1980s with his iconic portrayal of Johnny Lawrence, the antagonist in "The Karate Kid" (1984). This role instantly made him a recognizable face in Hollywood and typecast him as the quintessential teen movie bully. Following this breakthrough, he appeared in several other 1980s films, including "Just One of the Guys" (1985) and "Back to School" (1986).

In the decades that followed, Zabka continued acting while also pursuing work behind the camera. He earned an Academy Award nomination for co-producing and starring in the short film "Most" (2004). Throughout the 2000s, he made guest appearances on various TV shows, including a notable role as himself in "How I Met Your Mother."

Zabka's career experienced a major resurgence with "Cobra Kai" (2018-present), where he reprised his role as Johnny Lawrence. This time, his character was repositioned as a complex protagonist, allowing Zabka to showcase his dramatic range and comedic timing. His performance has earned widespread acclaim, with critics and audiences praising his ability to bring depth and humanity to a character that was originally a one-dimensional antagonist. The show has successfully reintroduced Zabka to a new generation of viewers while adding new layers to his most famous role.

Early Life

William Zabka was born in New York, New York, on October 20, 1965. Both of his parents worked in the film industry in various capacities. At one point, his father was the assistant director on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in Johnny's first two seasons as host.

William began acting in his late teens. His first official credit was on the television series "The Greatest American Hero." A year later, William landed the role that would give him lifetime fame – that of Johnny Lawrence, the high school bully who menaces Ralph Macchio's character in "The Karate Kid." According to legend, William won the role after Ralph Macchio told producers he "scared the shit of me" during the audition. He had no previous experience with Karate but was a high school wrestler.

Success

The Karate Kid went on to earn $100 million in the US alone on a budget of $8 million and basically single-handedly launched a Karate craze globally. After being inspired by his experience during the movie, William would later study the martial art of Tang Soo Do and earn 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 appear in films intermittently, such as "Shootfighter," "The Power Within," and "Interceptors." In 2003, he wrote and produced the short film "Most". The film went on to receive an Academy Award nomination. He has also directed numerous music videos. He recently 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 for brands including Verizon and Little Tikes.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Cobra Kai

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 earned a reported $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons, which works out to around $1 million per season per person. They serve as co-executive producers on the project. The series is executive produced by Will Smith ever since his company, Overbrook Productions, licensed the rights from Jerry Weintraub's company, Weintraub Entertainment Group.

The first season was released in May 2018. It received universally high praise but, unfortunately, low viewership because no one has YouTube Red… and no one wants YouTube Red… no matter how many times the app desperately tries to hit you over the head with pop-ups and reminders. Thankfully, in August 2020, the show was finally released on Netflix, where it found a wider audience and became one of the most popular shows on the platform. The show will air at least four total seasons on Netflix.

Personal Life & Real Estate

In 2008, William married his wife Stacie. They have two children together.

In February 1996, William paid $256,000 for a home in Burbank, California. Today, this home is worth around $1 million. In November 2020, William paid $1.025 million for a home in Brentwood, Tennessee. In January 2025, William lost a house in the LA area Palisades/Eaton fires.

Who's Richer?

William
Zabka

Compare!

Ralph
Macchio