Martin Kove might be best known as John Kreese, the no-mercy drill sergeant of Cobra Kai, but the man behind the character has spent 50 years fighting — not just opponents in the dojo, but for the survival and evolution of his own career. In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, Kove isn’t just reminiscing; he’s digging into the stories, struggles, and wild turns that brought him here. And yeah, there’s a book in the works.
“Six months ago, they said, ‘You’re in the business 50 years — you’re a survivor,’” Kove says, half in disbelief. “I never thought I was book-worthy. I mean, Sean Connery is book-worthy. Brando is book-worthy. But Martin Kove?”
Turns out, he is. Kove’s been everywhere — Gunsmoke, Charlie's Angels, Walker, Texas Ranger — you name it. “It takes someone else to tell you about your accomplishments,” he admits. “We as artists always look forward. We’re always looking for the next gig.”
That relentless drive carried him through roles big and small, tough guys and misunderstood villains. And then The Karate Kid came along. Suddenly, Kove wasn’t just a working actor; he was John Kreese. The leather-skinned sensei with a death grip on discipline and a knack for venomous one-liners. “No mercy. Sweep the leg.” A line so cold it could freeze the dojo.
But Kove didn’t want to be trapped in Kreese’s shadow. When Cobra Kai came knocking decades later, he took the deal — on one condition. “I said, ‘You’ve got to write me with an arc, with vulnerability,’” Kove recalls. “I don’t care if you go up and down, just give me the color.”
They delivered. In Cobra Kai, Kreese isn’t just a villain — he’s a man unraveling, clinging to a past that’s slipping through his fingers. And in Season 6, Kove hints, that unraveling hits full throttle. “It really goes in that direction,” he teases. “I’d rather cry on camera than beat someone up.”
This isn’t just a redemption arc for Kreese; it’s Kove flexing his acting chops in ways he’s always wanted. “John Kreese is fully capable of change,” he says, almost protective of the character. “Once he finds the answers… he gets there.”
Off-camera, Kove’s got his sights set on Westerns, a genre that never stopped whispering to him. “Kids today don’t have heroes,” he laments. “They’ve got Marvel and sci-fi, but where’s the heart? The vulnerability?” He’s crafting stories that blend the grit of Clint Eastwood with lessons for a world that’s lost its moral compass.
And while Cobra Kai may be winding down, Kove’s not ready to hang up his boots. “It’s interesting you call it freedom,” he muses. “Maybe it is. But I still want to leave a legacy.”
The man who taught us to “sweep the leg” is still fighting — only now, he’s fighting to tell the stories that matter. Vulnerable, gritty, unapologetically real. Just like the man himself.
Watch the full interview above and then check out the trailer below.
