1. Martin Kove is an American actor and martial artist.
12 Facts About Martin Kove
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Martin Kove is best known for his role as John Kreese, the main antagonist of The Karate Kid.
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Martin Kove appeared as Nero the Hero in Death Race 2000, and afterward as Clem in White Line Fever.
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Martin Kove was a regular on the TV series Cagney and Lacey, portraying Police Detective Victor Isbecki.
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Martin Kove appeared in Rambo: First Blood Part II and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
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Martin Kove was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City.
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Martin Kove attended Valley Stream Central High School before attending ITT Technical Institute - Maumee Campus.
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Martin Kove worked as a substitute math teacher at the Ward Melville High School before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
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Martin Kove studied Okinawa-te karate under prominent black belt Gordon Doversola Shihan.
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Martin Kove appeared in the 2007 music video for the song "Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings as a caricature of himself and John Kreese from The Karate Kid.
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In 2018, Martin Kove again returned to the character of Kreese for the YouTube Premium web series Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise set 34 years after the original film.
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Martin Kove was one of the celebrities competing on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars in 2021.