Martin Kove is going to have no mercy in the ballroom. The 75-year-old Cobra Kai star is one of the celebrity contestants of Dancing With the Stars season 30. Could he take home the mirrorball? Time will tell.
Martin is a Hollywood icon for those that grew up in the 1980s. If you need a refresher on all things Martin Kove, HollywoodLife has you covered. Here are 5 key facts about the actor.
1. Martin is known for playing John Kreese.
Martin began playing John Kreese, the tough-as-nails head of the Cobra Kai karate dojo, in the first Karate Kid movie in 1984. He also appeared in the two sequels. Over 30 years after first playing Kreese, Martin reprised the role of Kreese on Cobra Kai along with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. He has been a series regular since season 2. Season 4 will be released in December 2021.
2. He’s been acting since 1971.
Martin’s first-ever role was in an uncredited one in the 1971 movie Little Murders. He notably starred as Victor Isbecki on Cagney & Lacey. He also played Ericson in Rambo II alongside Sylvester Stallone. Martin has been in over 100 films.
3. He was born in New York City.
Martin is from the Brooklyn area. He now lives in Tennessee. “I’ve got 11 acres with a lake, and a broken-down barn, and an immaculate Tuscany Villa inside,” he told Cowboys & Indians magazine. “And you know what’s going up on the walls? My house is a museum. I’ve got all these giant European movie posters for westerns, all hand-painted in French or Italian.”
4. Brad Pitt is a fan.
Martin revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that when he was at a Directors Guild screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Brad Pitt grabbed the mic and told him, “‘And Mr. Kove, we just watched Karate Kid with my six-year-old daughter, and you are a legend in my house.’” Martin said he felt like “a million bucks.” Martin went on to have a brief role in Quentin’s film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
5. He has two kids.
Martin’s kids are named Jesse and Rachel. Martin worked with his son on Cobra Kai. Jesse played a Varsity Captain in a season 3 flashback scene. The character bullied the younger version of Martin’s character, John Kreese. Rachel is the CEO and co-owner of Transformational Solutions.