Martin Kove is perhaps best known for his role as sensei John Kreese in The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai franchises. He’s also remembered as the CIA mercenary, Ericson in Rambo: First Blood Part II. But with a career in film and television spanning more than 50 years, Kove is still fired up about going to work on the right projects.
The 77-year-old actor talks exclusively to M&F about reprising the iconic Kreese, his friendship with Sylvester Stallone, and how karate and a sense of perspective shows him the way.
Martin Kove has been learning from the best in the business for his entire career and one of his first films paired him up with the legendary actor, Sean Connery.
“It was not only one of my first jobs, it was one of my best,” says the Brooklyn native. “I’m in the business two years, and I get a call to be his stand in, in The Anderson Tapes (1971).” Looking up to his hero, Kove would later ask Connery for his advice, as the young upstart mulled over the offers for his future acting career. Should he go back to school or get out there and build up his portfolio?
“He said to me, ‘Young man, if you can do antiquity, you can do anything,’ meaning if I can do the classics, why bother going back to school?”
Years later, the two would meet again but this time it was on the tennis court rather than a movie set. Of course, Kove relished scoring points over the Scottish superstar. “And he’s screaming (expletives) and yelling, and I’m cracking up, hysterical, and I say to myself, ‘Wow, I’m playing tennis with James Bond, and he curses just like me,” he laughs. Kove has continued to work with the who’s who of showbiz ever since.
Martin Kove Has Learned To Roll With The Punches
By 1975, with a number of movies and television spots under his belt, Kove joined the cast of Capone, a move that also starred his old friend Sylvester Stallone. “We had an old German clockmaker, and he was our personal manager in the early ‘70s,” shares Kove. “He would get Sly jobs, like the occasional usher in a theater, and he would get me a job like Santa Claus in a department store. [laughs]”
The two would work together once again on Death Race 2000 and later Rambo: First Blood Part II, but during our chat, Kove shares a little-known fact: He almost joined the Rocky series too. “We got in the ring, and, I don’t remember if it was Rocky II, or Rocky III casting, but I was there, and Carl Weathers was there, and I made the mistake of getting in the ring (Kove smirks), it was a very short bout, you know, because (Sly) hits hard, and it’s OK, back in those days you expected that, but you can’t go in there expecting to beat him because he’s good, and Carl (was) good too. Sly trains a lot, he still does, and working with him on Rambo, we had a lot of fun.”
More recently, as Stallone wrapped the forthcoming second series of Tulsa King, Kove sent over some Cuban cigars as a gesture to his longtime pal. “He’s wonderful … very creative,” he says.
The ‘80s were a heady time for Kove, since he not only appeared in Rambo II, three Karate Kid movies, and numerous other projects, but also took a major role in Cagney & Lacey. Like Sly, Kove has never been afraid to train hard, and learned Okinawa-te Karate under the revered black belt, Gorden Doversola Shihan.
While shooting the famous car window punching scene for The Karate Kid Part II, Kove had to power through the glass himself because the special effects failed. “It hurt, and it was tough,” he shares, explaining that he never liked the resulting ‘honk’ of the nose given to him by Mr. Miyagi, because he was so invested in the Kreese character, and felt it took his power away. Still, the dedicated actor understood the cleverness of it, and gave cinema one of its most physical and yet comedic scenes.
Martin Kove Says Karate Is Great for Focus as He Also Provides Youngers With Perspective
From then, until now, Kove has rarely been off our screens with appearances in numerous projects including Walker, Texas Ranger, The Goldbergs, and in 2018, he agreed to return as John Kreese in the exciting Karate Kid spin-off series, Cobra Kai.
“When they came to me for the series, I said I was not interested in playing him as he was in Karate Kid I,” he tells M&F. “I said I wanted to play him with a bit more vulnerability. And, if you write him tough and hard, let’s find out why he is that way…my character has a great arc now.”
In Cobra Kai, Kove can still be seen fighting on screen as he trades blows with his enemies. He’ll only swap out with a stunt double (Ken Barefield) when the action or directors require it. The global fan base of Cobra Kai will have to wait a little longer to see that character arc, however. With Part 1 of the final series now on Netflix, and Parts 2 and 3 will drop next year.
Now in its sixth season, the show continues its huge success. But despite this, Kove is really not defined by Kreese. He’s still as willing as ever to push himself out of his comfort zone. To that end, Kove entered Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars back in 2021. While he was voted off first, that’s hardly the point for someone who is still enjoying new physical challenges well into his 70s. Kove says that a love of exercise has always been what drives him forward and thanks karate for the lessons it has taught him.
“I really love karate because of what it does for the discipline, and for your focus on other things,” he explains.
Kove starts each day with a period of meditation and works regularly with a personal trainer to keep fit. He also loves to work out on his exercise bike.
With no desire to slowdown, either on the bike or with his career, Kove is still as busy as ever. Among many upcoming projects, he’s currently working on a Western-themed comic book, and is hoping to make that into a television series.
Kove has also been approached about making a book on his life in order to cover the epic 50 plus years that he’s achieved in the entertainment business. “So many times, as artists, we forget our accomplishments,” he notes.
Giving back, Kove also likes to motivate younger generations of actors by putting their fear of rejection into proper perspective, living by the ethos that, “if they don’t give you the job, it’s their mistake.”
You could do a lot worse than listen to a gentleman who offers such hard-earned wisdom. In a Mr. Miyagi like exchange, Kove tells M&F that in any endeavor, it is important to take a breath, and realize who you are rather than lose yourself in the quest to please others. John Kreese may not define the actor, but Martin Kove has soaked up the best qualities of his characters, and his talented peers, and is approaching 80 years of age with the same energy that he had as that young upstart who scored against Sean Connery on the tennis court.