What Happened to This ‘Karate Kid’ Teen Idol & How Does He Look 40 Years after the Show’s Release? — Pics

William Zabka’s journey from his iconic role as Johnny Lawrence in *The Karate Kid* to his resurgence as a star in *Cobra Kai* is a story of transformation, both personally and professionally. Though he initially found fame as the quintessential teen villain, Zabka never set out to pursue a lifelong acting career. His early love for storytelling, sparked by working behind the scenes as a child, became the backbone of his passion for filmmaking.

Despite his early success, Zabka faced the challenges of a fluctuating career, enduring long periods without work. This forced him to reflect on his path, and at one point, he even considered stepping away from acting altogether. During that time, he explored his love for music and dedicated more of his energy to family life.

However, his return to the spotlight with *Cobra Kai* breathed new life into his career. As the series explored Johnny Lawrence’s adult life, Zabka seized the opportunity to redefine the character, moving beyond the black-and-white portrayal of a teen villain into something much more layered and human.

Fans of both *The Karate Kid* and *Cobra Kai* have praised Zabka’s nuanced performance, and his journey has inspired many. With Emmy nominations to his name, he has not only reinvigorated his acting career but also found a deep fulfillment in balancing his work and family. His love for fatherhood and his dedication to being a hands-on parent show that his real-life role as a dad is just as important as his on-screen success.

Zabka’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and reinvention—proof that while some careers ebb and flow, a passion for storytelling can keep someone going through the highs and lows. His legacy continues to grow, with fans both old and new celebrating his enduring talent.

20+ People Honestly Showed What Their Jobs Are Really Like

It’s impossible to argue with the fact that all jobs are important. We see people specialize in different things every day. They could be doctors, school teachers, cashiers, or cleaners. All jobs contain things that outsiders have no idea about.

We at Bright Side have found Internet users of different professions that revealed the invisible side of their jobs. And in the bonus section, you’ll find a tweet about the difficulties that shop assistants have to deal with.

“My sister works in a photo center and this is who she was asked to take a picture of.”

This is the hand of a doctor after removing his medical gloves after 10 hours of being on the clock.

“A group of teenagers came in just to trash the theater. I was one of the people that had to clean it.”

“I work in the Arctic and Antarctic and find it much more convenient to wear my watch on a lanyard than on my wrist because of all of the layers I wear.”

“This watch has been to Antarctica countless times and to the geographic North Pole 12 times.”

“Be nice to your trash man when it’s raining and it’s 30 degrees outside. We’re not invincible. This is my hand after working 4 hours in bad weather.”

“I work at a hotel these days and went to see if a room was mislabeled as dirty. This is what I found.”

“I kept my hotel key cards from my first year working for the airlines.”

“Working hard as a truck driver has its advantages: the views!”

“My mom works at Amazon and she sent me a photo of one of the trucks she loaded.”

“I work at a call center. Whenever I get a particularly rude caller, I like to draw what they might look like. Here’s Lorraine from today.”

“I work in a fast-food restaurant, and this is our broom. My boss says it’s too expensive to replace it, yet he drives a Lincoln.”

“I work in the film industry and I’m usually too shy to ask for a picture with an actor, but I had to get one with this little guy.”

“Every staple I removed in one year at my boring office job”

“I work in a −25°F freezer every day.”

“I work at a cat shelter. These are the ’can we keep him?’ photos I sent to my partner. It worked.”

“My job involves putting labels on boxes. I hold them with my left hand and put them on the box with my right. This is what my ’clean’ hands look like.”

“I got transferred to a new location at work. This is my new break ’room.’”

You can work anywhere if you’re a programmer.

“I work as a professional princess on weekends. My kitty insists on inspecting each costume for detail accuracy.”

“I work at a hotel — a guest left this when they checked out.”

This is a bathtub full of playing cards.

“So, I work in a movie theater. ’Family of the Year’ award goes to these guys!”

“I’m a seaman. We live alone in these rooms. Depending on your position, the room can be better and bigger. This is mine.”

“I have my own toilet and shower.”

“Took this photo yesterday at work. Thought I’d share it with you guys.”

Bonus: the harsh work of shop assistants

What is your job and what downsides are there to it?

Preview photo credit AwanishSharan / TwitterSubzeroMK / Reddit

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