Martin Kove has played sensei John Kreese in three “Karate Kid” films as well as the Emmy-nominated series “Cobra Kai.” The 75-year-old is now a contestant on the new season of ABC’s hit dance competition series “Dancing with the Stars,” along with his dance partner Britt Stewart.Kove and Stewart danced to Joe Esposito’s “You’re The Best Around” from “The Karate Kid” for their first “Dancing with the Stars” performance.
The paso doble was performed by the dancing partners, who received a total score of 13 out of 40 from the show’s judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and Len Goodman. While Kove is known for portraying an intense karate instructor who will try to win at any cost, he assured fans that he will not adopt Kreese’s mindset in his quest for the Mirrorball Trophy. During a recent interview with IHollywoodTV, the father-of-two discussed how he plans to approach competing on “Dancing with the Stars.”“The more I practise, the more competitive I will probably feel.
It’s almost spiritual right now, if I last two, if I last two, if I last four, if I last four, it’s really — I want to have a good time, as Marty Kove would say. Not in the manner of John Kreese. It’s not a matter of being tough and hard, it’s a matter of really showing, I guess, showing the population out there that there’s another side to this actor other than the popular John Kreese from ‘Cobra Kai,'” Kove explained. Martin Kove revealed to “Good Morning America” in September 2021 that he recently spoke with “Cobra Kai” star Ralph Macchio, who appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” season 12. The 75-year-old said his castmate had a good time on the show and that “he just really had such a good time.”Ralph Macchio discussed being a “Dancing with the Stars” contestant in a 2011 interview on “Lopez Tonight.”
He brought up the fact that he had injured his leg while working on the show. “I was just doing this move when I heard a popping sound and a burning sensation in the back of my knee, which was a Baker’s cyst that had ruptured. “I don’t know why, it was just painful,” Macchio explained.Despite his leg injury, he continued to perform and admitted that his perseverance mirrored his character Daniel LaRusso’s strength in “The Karate Kid.”
Daniel competes in the final round of the 1984 All Valley Competition despite having an injured leg, as fans are aware.“It’s insane. It couldn’t be my shoulder, hip, or elbow, I reasoned. No, it had to be the leg, you know,” Macchio explained.During season 12 of “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Karate Kid Part II” star Tamlyn Tomita expressed her support for Macchio in a May 2011 interview with PacificRimVideoPress. During the filming of the “Karate Kid” sequel, she stated that she “knew he was a song and dance man.” She alluded to a scene in which her character Kumiko and Daniel dance in a 1950s diner.“He taught me how to dance.
I know Kumiko was supposed to teach Daniel-San to dance, but Ralph Macchio taught Tamlyn Tomita. And he was a murderer back then. So I can’t imagine him not winning,” the actress said.
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