Personal details
- Birth Date: 1947-03-06
- Height: 6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
- Birth Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Children: (divorced, 2 children) Jesse Kove
- Parents: Frances Kove
- Professions: Actor, Producer, Director
Martin Kove, born March 6, 1947, straight outta Brooklyn, honestly looks like the kind of dude you wouldn’t wanna mess with at a bar. Those sharp cheekbones, that stare—yeah, he’s played his fair share of both the good and the bad. Early on, he was popping up in blink-and-you-miss-it film roles, but things got spicy when he showed up as Nero the Hero in Death Race 2000 (1975). Low-budget, high-chaos, and Kove just owned that villain vibe. The same year, he played Clem in White Line Fever, not exactly the friendliest guy—he literally broke Jan-Michael Vincent’s ribs. Ouch, right? TV had its moments too. Cagney & Lacey fans might remember him as Detective Isbecki, the straight-shooting cop. But then, bam, he’s facing off against Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), which—let’s be real—put him on the radar for a whole new crowd. But, c’mon, THE role everyone remembers? John Kreese. The ultimate hard-nosed sensei from Cobra Kai, terrorizing Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid (1984) and showing up for both sequels. That “sweep the leg” energy is just iconic. Kove never really slowed down—he’s been grinding away in action thrillers, racking up more than 80 movies and a ton of TV guest spots over the years. Guy’s a workhorse. No sign of him hitting the brakes anytime soon.
referencesnnThis dude’s basically a martial arts Swiss Army knife—he’s got black belts in Kendo, Okinawa-te, and Tiger Kenpo. Kendo’s all about sword fighting, so imagine him slicing through opponents like it’s just another Tuesday. Okinawa-te brings in that old-school, hard-hitting Okinawan vibe, which means he can break boards and probably egos with equal ease. And Tiger Kenpo? That’s the flashy one—think lightning-fast strikes and enough swagger to make you rethink your life choices. Seriously, most people struggle with one martial art, he nails three. Kind of insane, honestly. You have to wonder how much time he spends training versus, you know, doing anything else. The guy’s practically a walking action scene. So if you see him in a fight, just sit back and enjoy the show—he’s got the skills to back it all up, and then some.
Man, it’s wild how people still recognize me from The Karate Kid, even after all these years. I’ll be minding my own business in the grocery store and suddenly some kid will run up, smack me on the arm, and go, “You hurt Ralph!” Like, come on, I’m not actually Kreese 24/7! But honestly? It cracks me up. Playing Sensei John Kreese basically made me the Darth Vader of 80s movies. People seriously love to hate this guy—and I eat it up. I never imagined folks would get so worked up about a character, venting all their frustration at me, but hey, it means I did something right. It’s kind of awesome to be part of such a legendary flick, even if it means taking the blame for roughing up Daniel LaRusso for the rest of my life.
March 6, 1947
6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Yes, Jesse Kove
Frances Kove and Surekha
78 years old