Martin Kove - Biography

Martin Kove (born March 6, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.

Career

Film appearances

His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese. He reprised his role as Kreese in the 1986 hit sequel The Karate Kid, Part II and the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid, Part III. He studied Okinawa-te Karate under a prominent black belt of Shihan Gordon Doversola. In 1985 Kove played a traitorous helicopter pilot in Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Television appearances

Kove appeared as George Baker in the short-lived CBS series Code R (1977) about the emergency services (fire, police, and ocean rescue) in the California Channel Islands. His co-stars were James Houghton, Tom Simcox, and Joan Freeman.

He also starred in the short-lived science fiction series Hard Time on Planet Earth and made guest appearances on several television programs including Gunsmoke, Three for the Road, Kojak, The Incredible Hulk, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Streets of San Francisco, and Black Scorpion. In 2007, Kove appeared in the No More Kings video "Sweep The Leg", in a parody of his Karate Kid character. Kove appeared in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues as the Shadow Assassin in Episode 3, Season 1, "Shadow Assassin", which aired on 3 February 1993, and in Episode 23, Season 2, which aired on 26 January 1994.

He appeared on Tosh.0 as his character from The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese, where he spoofed the final fight on the "Board Breaker Web Redemption". At the end of the skit, Daniel Tosh - dressed as Mr. Miyagi - honks Martin's nose, a reference to Mr. Miyagi's action in the scene at the beginning of The Karate Kid, Part II.

Personal life

Kove was born in Brooklyn, New York City and had a Jewish upbringing. He was married to Vivienne Kove from 1981 to 2005. In 1990, they had twins, Jesse and Rachel.

Filmography

• Little Murders (1971)
• The Last House on the Left (1972)
• Women in Revolt (1972)
• Savages (1972)
• Cops and Robbers (1973)
• The Wild Party (1975)
• White Line Fever (1975)
• Death Race 2000 (1975)
• The White Buffalo (1977)
• The Incredible Hulk (1978)
• Blood Tide (1982)
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
• The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)
• Steele Justice (1987)
• The Karate Kid, Part III (1989)
• Hard Time on Planet Earth (1989)
• Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1992)
• Project Shadowchaser (1992)
• Wyatt Earp (1994)
• Walker Texas Ranger (1995)
• Black Sheep (1996)
• Timelock (1996)
• Nowhere Land (1998)
• Under Heavy Fire (2001) (TV)
• Crocodile 2: Death Swamp (2002)
• Hard Ground (2003) (TV)
• Curse of the Forty-Niner (2003)
• Barbarian (2003)
• Glass Trap (2004)
• Miracle at Sage Street (2005)
• The Dead Sleep Easy (2008)
• Savage (2009)
• War Wolves (2009) (TV)
• Middle Men (2009)
• Tosh.0 (2011) (TV)

External links

Further reading

Voisin, Scott, "Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting." BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 9-781593-933425.