Martin Kove

Actor, Producer, Director

Birthdate: Mar 6, 1947

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Martin Kove was born on March 6, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Strong-featured, narrow-eyed actor who has portrayed a mixed bag of both good guys and bad guys. He first turned up on screen in several minor roles, and was noticed as the villainous Nero the Hero in the low-budget road race Death Race 2000 (1975), and then as Clem the sadistic rigger, breaking Jan-Michael Vincent's ribs in White Line Fever (1975). He cropped up on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1981) portraying honest Police Detective Isbecki, and then ended up on the wrong side of a rampaging Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).

Kove probably scored his greatest visibility to the public in the hugely successful The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head instructor of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in the two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). Kove has since kept consistently busy, primarily in the action-thriller film genre, and has notched up over 80 film appearances to date, as well as numerous television guest roles.

Known For

The Karate Kid Part III
The Karate Kid Part III

(1989)

The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid

(1984)

Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000

(1975)

Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II

(1985)

Martin Kove Movies

actor

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Previous (99)

  • 2025 |

    Queen of the Ring

    asAl Haft
  • 2023 |
    Far Havenas Ambrose Masse
  • 2022 |

    The Outfit

    asAgent Baker
  • 2021 |
    3 Tickets to Paradiseas Felix
  • 2021 |
    More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story
  • 2020 |
    A Wrestling Christmas Miracleas Warden Jeffries
  • 2020 |
    Bring Me a Dreamas Sheriff Jack Miller
  • 2020 |
    Day 13as Magnus
  • 2020 |
    Elvis from Outer Spaceas State Trooper
  • 2020 |
    Finding Saraas Lemley
  • 2020 |
    Max Reload and the Nether Blastersas Gramps Jenkins
  • 2019 |
    A Karate Christmas Miracleas Sam
  • 2019 |
    Bare Knuckle Brawleras Mike Calderon
  • 2019 |
    Paint It Redas Scabs
  • 2019 |
    The Savantas John Sonsay
  • 2019 |
    VFWas Lou Clayton
  • 2019 |

    Savage

    asJack Lund
  • 2018 |
    Warning: No Trespassingas Marty the CIA agent
  • 2017 |
    Fake Newsas Vice President John Phillips
  • 2017 |
    Garlic & Gunpowderas Agent Tracey
  • 2017 |
    Price for Freedomas Ayatollah Khalkhali
  • 2017 |

    Friend Request

    asCaptain Meyers
  • 2016 |
    Assassin Xas Frank
  • 2016 |
    Hospital Arrestas Boss Nigel
  • 2016 |
    Joker's Wildas Rand Place
  • 2016 |
    Six Gun Savioras The Mentor
  • 2016 |
    Tradedas Cavendish
  • 2015 |
    A Horse for Christmasas Carson
  • 2015 |
    Hardinas Mannen Clements Sr.
  • 2015 |
    The Dog Who Saved Summeras Vernon
  • 2014 |
    Falcon Songas Caspian
  • 2014 |
    Rice Girlas Captain Ron Williams
  • 2014 |
    Snapshotas Jack Adams
  • 2014 |
    Tumbleweed: A True Storyas Silver Bush
  • 2014 |
    Eternity: The Movieas Barry Goldfield, Sr.
  • 2013 |
    Reality Terror Nightas Othello Lazarus
  • 2013 |
    I'm in Love with a Church Girlas Terry Edgemond
  • 2012 |
    Silent But Deadlyas Hodge
  • 2012 |

    Savages

    asArchie, a Bully
  • 2011 |
    Assassins' Codeas Tony Brill
  • 2011 |
    Dark Gamesas Detective Dave Reinhart
  • 2011 |
    Memphis Rising: Elvis Returnsas Highway Patrol
  • 2011 |
    The Great Fightas John Cooper
  • 2011 |
    The Life Zoneas Randy Graves
  • 2010 |
    Bare Knucklesas Sonny Cool
  • 2010 |
    Carmen's Kissas Drayton
  • 2010 |
    The Ascentas Lewis
  • 2009 |
    Ballisticaas Riley
  • 2009 |
    Immortally Yoursas Steven Miles
  • 2008 |
    Beyond the Ringas Uncle Patrick
  • 2007 |
    Messagesas DCI Collins
  • 2007 |
    The Dead Sleep Easyas Bob Depugh
  • 2006 |
    Crookedas Jake Lawlor
  • 2006 |
    Max Havoc: Ring of Fireas Lt. Reynolds
  • 2006 |
    Seven Mummiesas Kile
  • 2005 |
    Glass Trapas Corrigan
  • 2003 |
    Devil's Knightas Zeff
  • 2002 |
    Crocodile 2: Death Swampas Roland
  • 2002 |
    Curse of the Forty-Nineras Caleb
  • 2002 |
    Shattered Liesas Tom Reynolds
  • 2002 |
    Tranceas Robert Leoni
  • 2001 |
    Extreme Honoras Packard
  • 2001 |
    Final Paybackas Captain Peter James
  • 2001 |
    Savage Seasonas Frank
  • 2001 |
    Under Heavy Fireas Father Brazinski
  • 2000 |
    A Drug Called Pornographyas Narrator
  • 2000 |
    Bad Guysas The Commander
  • 2000 |
    Strip 'n Runas Crow
  • 1999 |
    Illusion Infinityas Taxi Driver
  • 1999 |
    Joseph's Giftas Thompsonn
  • 1998 |
    Hyacinthas J. B. Walker
  • 1998 |
    Nowhere Landas Hank
  • 1998 |
    The Waterfrontas James Ricks
  • 1997 |
    Sliding Homeas Samuel J. Weber
  • 1997 |
    Top of the Worldas Carl
  • 1996 |
    Baby Face Nelsonas John Dillinger
  • 1996 |
    Judge and Juryas Michael Silvano
  • 1996 |
    Timelockas Admiral Teegs
  • 1995 |
    Final Equinoxas Torman
  • 1995 |
    Grizzly Mountainas Marshal Jackson
  • 1995 |
    Without Mercyas Wolf Larsen
  • 1994 |
    Death Matchas Paul Landis
  • 1994 |
    Endangeredas DeVoe
  • 1994 |
    Future Shockas Dr. Langdon
  • 1993 |
    Lightning in a Bottleas Duane Furber
  • 1993 |
    Shootfighter: Fight to the Deathas Mr. Lee
  • 1991 |
    White Lightas Sean Craig
  • 1989 |
    The Man from Nowhereas Sam Nicholson
  • 1989 |
    The Karate Kid Part IIIas Kreese
  • 1987 |
    Steele Justiceas John Steele
  • 1986 |
    The Karate Kid Part IIas John Kreese
  • 1985 |
    Rambo: First Blood Part IIas Ericson
  • 1984 |

    The Karate Kid

    asJohn Kreese
  • 1983 |
    Laboratoryas Gerard, Subject 32D
  • 1982 |
    Bloodtideas Neil Grice
  • 1975 |
    The Four Deucesas Smokey Ross - the 'Deuce of Diamonds'
  • 1975 |
    Death Race 2000as Nero the Hero
  • 1972 |
    The Best of the New York Erotic Film Festival
  • 1971 |
    Women in Revoltas Marty

Martin Kove News