The only living lead actors from the 1985 TV series The Equalizer

Long before Denzel Washington played the quietly deadly Robert McCall movies “equalizer”.Edward Woodward played the character in the original CBS television series. “The Equalizer” aired on the network from 1985 to 1989 and starred Woodward as a retired intelligence agent who uses his skills to help bring justice to those wronged in his everyday life.

It’s a remarkably solid formula that not only spawned three films starring Denzel (with the fourth and fifth Equalizer movies have already been confirmed), as well as a reboot series starring Queen Latifah that has already been running for five full seasons. Each iteration of this franchise has brought something new, but none of them could exist without the original series from co-creators Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.

There was a lot to like about That ’80s Show, which took a simple premise and, with the help of Woodward and a rotating cast of top guest stars, turned it into a show that continues to play some 40 years after it first debuted. Sadly, we’ve since lost many of the actors who appeared in The Equalizer, with Woodward himself passing away in 2009. Only a few of the main cast members from the original series are with us now.

American actor Keith Sharabayka, paying a nice compliment to his British colleague, played Mickey Kostmeyer in the series “Equalizer”. A former Navy SEAL who joined the company on the recommendation of Robert McCall, Kostmeier first appeared in Season 1, Episode 2, and remained on the show for all four seasons, with McCall contacting him for help with many of his jobs .

Kostmeier became Sharabayka’s first major role on television after appearing in one episode of Miami Vice. However, after his stint on the CBS series, he continued to work steadily, landing small roles in other notable series such as Law & Order, Babylon 5, and Walker, Texas Ranger throughout the 90s. He also appeared in a few films during the decade, but it wasn’t until the 2000s that he started appearing in higher-profile projects.

After playing 18th-century vampire hunter Daniel Holtz in 11 episodes of Angel, Sarabaika played Gotham detective Gerard Stevens in The Dark Knight (which is still somehow better than you remember)where he had a memorable scene with Heath Ledger’s Joker taunting Stevens about killing his colleagues. Sharabayka briefly reprized the role in The Dark Knight Rises before playing Adam Engel in Argo. The actor has also used his voice in several video games, and his most recent film role was in 2023’s The Art Thief.

Although he was only in 12 episodes, William Zabka played a fairly important role as Robert McCall’s son, Scott. Zabka appeared throughout the series’ four seasons as McCall rekindles his relationship with his previously estranged son, drawing him increasingly into his vigilante recruitment business. Before “The Equalizer,” Zabka was already well known for playing Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso’s rival Ralph Macchio in 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” a role he briefly reprized in 1986’s “The Karate Kid Part II.” returning to the role more than 30 years later in the legacy sequel series, Cobra Kai.

Between his original portrayal of Lawrence in 1984 and his most recent appearances as the character, Zabka not only found time to earn his black belt, but he also continued to work as an actor, appearing in 1986’s Back to School and ” The story of the tiger” of 1988. .” Working mostly in independent film for the next decade, Zabka maintained his desire to become a director and in 2002 wrote and produced the short film The Bridge, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Short Film category.

After a cameo appearance in 2013’s How I Met Your Mother, Zabka appeared as a fictional version of himself on a recurring basis in the sitcom’s 9th season. A small role in an episode of Psycho and roles in other independent films preceded Zabka’s return to the role of Johnny Lawrence in 2018 in the first season of Cobra Kai, a role he would play for all six seasons of the YouTube Red-turned-Netflix show. However, unfortunately, it seems that Zabka will not be participating in the future “The Karate Kid: Legends” film-continuation of legacy.