Tony O’Dell (born January 30, 1960) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Cobra Kai member Jimmy in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, and the second season of its spinoff Cobra Kai (the 2018 YouTube web series based on the adult lives of the Karate Kid characters), and as preppy Alan Pinkard on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class (1986–91).

Tony O'Dell
Born
Anthony Dell'Aquila

(1960-01-30) January 30, 1960 (age 64)
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present

Early life and career

edit

O'Dell was born Anthony Dell'Aquila in Pasadena, California, and graduated from St. Francis High School.[1] His first television appearance was the 1978 Halloween episode of the NBC television series CHiPs, titled "Trick or Trick." He later appeared in the short lived 1985 CBS science fiction series Otherworld, as Trace Sterling. One of his longest roles was of high school student Alan Pinkard on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class (1986–91). He later appeared in Suddenly Susan, The George Lopez Show, and K.C. Undercover.

In 1984, he portrayed Cobra Kai member Jimmy, in the first two Karate Kid films, and appeared in the 2007 music video for the song Sweep the Leg by No More Kings as a caricature of himself and Jimmy from The Karate Kid.[2][3] O'Dell reprised the role of Jimmy during the 2019 Season 2 YouTube web series Cobra Kai.[4]

Selected filmography

edit

Movies

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff Student
1980 Falling in Love Again Donny Lewis (Present day)
1981 Rivals Student
1983 Hadley's Rebellion Dorm Boy
1984 The Karate Kid Jimmy
1985 Evils of the Night Billy
1986 Chopping Mall Ferdy Meisel
The Karate Kid Part II Jimmy

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1978 CHiPs Teenager 1 Episode, Trick or Treat
1979 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Additional Voices
1980 Fridays Boy (Uncredited) 1 Episode, #1.2
Eight Is Enough Scott 1 Episode, Finally Grad Night
Family Howard 1 Episode, Letting Go
1981 Dynasty Christopher 4 Episodes
ABC Weekend Specials Tommy 1 Episode, The Puppy Saves the Circus
1982 The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour Tommy
1983 The Puppy's Further Adventures Tommy
1984 Lottery! 1 Episode, Miami: Sharing
1985 Otherworld Trace Sterling 8 Episodes
Simon & Simon Jerry Carton 1 Episode, Facets
1986 Airwolf Terry Haines 1 Episode, Break-In at Santa Paula
1986-1991 Head of the Class Alan Pinkard 114 Episodes
1988 Murder, She Wrote Larry McIver 1 Episode, Snow White, Blood Red
1996 In the House Jonathan 1 Episode, Home Again
2000 Suddenly Susan Bird (Uncredited) 1 Episode, The Bird in the Wall
2002-2003 George Lopez Patrick / Delivery Guy 2 Episodes
2011 Shake It Up Kelly 1 Episode, Vatalihootsit It Up
2015 K.C. Undercover Mr. Hancock 1 Episode, The Neighborhood Watchdogs
2019 Cobra Kai Jimmy 1 Episode

References

edit
  1. ^ Delmar, Carie J. (20 April 1988). "His clean cut character is not an act". Los Angeles Daily News. p. Z4. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. ^ Frye, Cory (March 10, 2018). "Of Being and Johnny Lawrence (Sweep the Leg)". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Strauss, Chris (October 9, 2014). "'Karate Kid' villain Billy Zabka is still best friends with the Cobra Kais". USA Today. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  4. ^ Topel, Fred (April 27, 2019). "'Cobra Kai' Season 2: About That 'Karate Kid' Reunion in Episode 6…". /Film. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
edit