Martin Kove was thrilled to have his son on set
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
As EW notes, in an interview with the legendary actor, Martin Kove’s John Kreese was truly terrifying in the original “Karate Kid” series. But “Cobra Kai” has re-established the character as a three-dimensional human being with his own fascinating history, which is why Kove was eager to revisit his most famous role. As the actor explained, “In discussing Kreese’s backstory, I have to say the creators [Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg] were very perceptive.” He’d done his own homework, speaking to mercenaries and soldiers, and to his delight, Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg had done likewise. As the “Karate Kid” star explained, “This is what persuaded me to sign-on because I didn’t want to play another bad guy. Their plan to take him up and down emotionally really interested me. … I like going into the depths of humanity and playing out those emotional moments.”
There was also the small matter of working alongside his actor son, Jesse Kove, which of course sweetened the deal. The younger man appears in flashback as one of Kreese’s high school tormentors. As Jesse admitted, “It was such an honor to play in this world that I was brought up around my whole life. … I hope I made my dad proud.” He did indeed, with Martin revealing the writers reassured him that his kid had totally nailed it, which naturally made the older actor feel “like a million bucks.”
How Martin Kove Really Feels About Working With His Son On Cobra Kai
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
By Joey Keogh/Oct. 1, 2021 10:40 am EST
Martin Kove was thrilled to have his son on set
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
As EW notes, in an interview with the legendary actor, Martin Kove’s John Kreese was truly terrifying in the original “Karate Kid” series. But “Cobra Kai” has re-established the character as a three-dimensional human being with his own fascinating history, which is why Kove was eager to revisit his most famous role. As the actor explained, “In discussing Kreese’s backstory, I have to say the creators [Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg] were very perceptive.” He’d done his own homework, speaking to mercenaries and soldiers, and to his delight, Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg had done likewise. As the “Karate Kid” star explained, “This is what persuaded me to sign-on because I didn’t want to play another bad guy. Their plan to take him up and down emotionally really interested me. … I like going into the depths of humanity and playing out those emotional moments.”
There was also the small matter of working alongside his actor son, Jesse Kove, which of course sweetened the deal. The younger man appears in flashback as one of Kreese’s high school tormentors. As Jesse admitted, “It was such an honor to play in this world that I was brought up around my whole life. … I hope I made my dad proud.” He did indeed, with Martin revealing the writers reassured him that his kid had totally nailed it, which naturally made the older actor feel “like a million bucks.”
There was also the small matter of working alongside his actor son, Jesse Kove, which of course sweetened the deal. The younger man appears in flashback as one of Kreese’s high school tormentors. As Jesse admitted, “It was such an honor to play in this world that I was brought up around my whole life. … I hope I made my dad proud.” He did indeed, with Martin revealing the writers reassured him that his kid had totally nailed it, which naturally made the older actor feel “like a million bucks.”
