Exploring Martin Kove movies and tv shows: A Comprehensive Guide

If you want to know about the Martin Kove movies and tv shows, an actor with a long career but best known for his character in The Karate Kid universe.

Martin Kove, while not reaching the level of great movie villains due to a story that is quite ordinary, can be considered the type of villain we might encounter in everyday life.

However, among Martin Kove’s movies and TV shows, it is impossible to think of him without seeing the bitter and hate-filled man in the film that made him most famous.

Despite this, Kove’s filmography is long, broad, and complete; he is the type of actor who has talent and possesses skills but does not receive many roles regularly.

Nonetheless, the resurgence of The Karate Kid universe, thanks to Netflix, has allowed us to remember the evil of John Kreese.

This character made life difficult for poor Daniel LaRusso, but now, with Cobra Kai, they have returned to bring closure to the story followed by millions of people for four decades.

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Martin Kove movies and tv shows include a long career as an actor, producer, and martial artist.

Kove had a solid acting training that led him to work in theater, then on television in small roles, and finally making his big leap to cinema.

In many of his roles, we can see him as a tough character, usually an antagonist, who shows his enormous capacity to be hated by the audience.

John is a manipulative, ruthless, and unscrupulous character. In fact, in an interview, Kove revealed that the sensei’s personality ended up negatively influencing his life.

Martin Kove movies and tv shows: Beginnings

Like many Hollywood artists, his rise to the cinema was a long journey, but one he pursued tirelessly. Martin Kove has been characterized by being quite persistent and with an attitude of dedication and commitment in every role.

The long career with Martin Kove movies and TV shows, although not highly acclaimed, places him among the most recognized characters in pop culture.

Martin Kove’s beginnings trace back to when he moved with his parents to Los Angeles, where he specialized in martial arts. In the martial arts realm, Kove holds black belts in karate, kenpo, and kendo.

His first film role was in the movie Little Murders in 1971. Since then, he did not stop working in films, taking on small roles, such as in The Last House on the Left, and later worked in the movie Savages.

In 1973, Kove landed an action role in Cops and Robbers. Then in 1975, he acted in The Wild Party, White Line Fever, and Death Race 2000. In 1977, Martin Kove appeared in The White Buffalo.

The following year, he worked in The Incredible Hulk, a television series starring Lou Ferrigno.

His most recognized role in cinema, and in his career in general, came in 1984 with the villain sensei John Kreese in the martial arts film The Karate Kid, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.

As you know, the film was a success, and today, Netflix has released the final season of Cobra Kai, six in total, which has become one of the most-watched on this streaming service.

Of course, the opportunities for Martin Kove movies and tv shows increased with The Karate Kid, with more job offers within the film industry.

Martin Kove’s Most Memorable Roles

Among Martin Kove movies and tv shows, there are two characters that no one can forget. The first is the evil sensei John Kreese, but another standout character is the one he plays in Rambo II, the 1985 sequel of the franchise that achieved great success.

Kove became well-known for his role in the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, always delivering interesting performances that remain in the memories of movie lovers.

And what can we say about Kreese? He is a deranged, dishonest character who, even when he tries to show his feelings, is enveloped by his internal malice like a sociopath.

Kreese is a manipulative, ruthless, and unscrupulous character who always seeks that authoritative figure, which actually makes him forget how lonely he is.

Another of Martin Kove’s Performances: A Taste of Love. Learn more about this film: EXPLORING THE CAST OF A TASTE OF LOVE

About his character in Cobra Kai, Kove stated, “Let me tell you: in a relationship, it’s very difficult. I’ve had several different tumultuous relationships, the same relationship, but very tumultuous. Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with John Kreese’s values.

And you think you’ll get over them because you’re Martin Kove, you’re not John Kreese, you’re not the character, but they’re still there very subtly.

They’re still there. They’re a driving force. Because he’s a winner. And you’re an actor, you want to be a winner.”

He reveals that much of John Kreese has seeped into his personality, and unfortunately, some of it has caused him problems.

But in Rambo II, he left that feeling of hatred towards him when he played the helicopter pilot Michael Reed Ericson.

In the Rambo movie, Kove portrays this character as a seemingly reliable but obscure man with apparent respect for Rambo, yet he is depicted as an indifferent hired worker.

Martin Kove on TV

One of Martin Kove’s first TV roles was as Detective Victor Isbecki in the Emmy-winning television series “Cagney & Lacey.”

Since then, his TV roles haven’t been very regular; in fact, he has had more participation in films.

Among his more recent TV credits are guest star roles on ABC’s “The Goldbergs” and CBS’s “Criminal Minds.”

Here are some of his TV appearances:

• Under Heavy Fire (2001) (TV)
• War Wolves (2009) (TV)
• Hard Ground (2003) (TV)
• Tosh.0 (2011) (TV)
• Cobra Kai (2018-Present)
• The Incredible Hulk
• Hard Time on Planet Earth
• Hard Ground (TV Movie)

Martin Kove in Film:

Martin Kove has around 100 movies to his name. Some of his most notable credits include Rambo II, alongside Sylvester Stallone, and westerns like Hard Ground with Burt Reynolds and the new version of Gentle Ben, both for Hallmark Channel.

Here are some of his film appearances:

• 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)
• Capone (1975)
• The White Buffalo (1977)
• The Incredible Hulk (1978)
• Blood Tide (1982)
• The Optimist (1983)
• 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)
• Project Shadowchaser (1992)
• Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)
• Future Shock (1994)
• Wyatt Earp (1994)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1995)
• Black Sheep (1996)
• Timelock (1996)
• Judge and Jury (1996)
• Nowhere Land (1998)
• Shadow Warriors II: Hunt for the Death Merchant (1999)
• Final Justice (2001)
• Crocodile 2: Death Swamp (2002)
• Curse of the Forty-Niner (2003)
• Barbarian (2003)
• Glass Trap (2004)
• Miracle at Sage Creek (2005)
• Max Havoc: Ring of Fire (2006)
• The Dead Sleep Easy (2008)
• Chinaman’s Chance: America’s Other Slaves (2008)
• Savage (2009)
• Middle Men (2009)
• Eternity: The Movie (2013)
• Tapped Out (2014)
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
• More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story (2021)
• A Taste of Love (2023 TV)

The Impact of Martin Kove on Cinema:

The reality is that the character of John Kreese has marked a turning point in Kove’s career, to the extent that his resurgence has been tied to this character.

On many occasions, he has been cast in roles resembling the evil sensei.

This character has been repeated in various series and movies, with his behavior pattern modeled after Kreese.

Only with Cobra Kai have we begun to understand a bit more about this character’s life, leaving us with memorable moments that show his impact on the audience.

Currently, besides Cobra Kai, another important role is in A Taste of Love, where he plays a concerned father.