William Christopher Ford, also known as Christopher Paul Ford, is a talented individual who has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the strong and silent Cobra Kai bad boy, "Dennis", in "The Karate Kid Part III".
Ford's journey in the entertainment industry began when he stumbled upon an open casting call for "KKIII" and decided to take a chance. He stood in line with hundreds of other young hopefuls, and his persistence paid off when Director John Avildsen noticed him and stopped to talk. Ford gave the director his headshot, and a week later, he received a call from Casting Director Caro Jones to come in and read for the part of "Mike Barnes".
Although Ford didn't land the role of "Mike Barnes", he was later called back to the set to play one of the supporting "bad boys". He met with Stunt Coordinator Pat Johnson and Director John Avildsen and was cast as "Dennis". Ford's experience in martial arts proved to be an asset in his role, as he is a 5th degree black belt in Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate and has studied directly with Sensei Richard Rabago and Master Tadashi Yamashita. He has also studied Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Kick-boxing.
Ford began studying martial arts at the age of seven in 1974 and has been dedicated to the craft ever since. He took a break from the entertainment industry to raise his two kids, but returned in 2006 and changed his professional name to William Christopher Ford to honor his father, who passed away in 2005. He has also worked under the names Chris Ford, William Ford, and "WC" Ford.
In 2012, Ford was inducted into the Masters' Hall of Fame and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his commitment and contribution to the martial arts. He dedicated the acceptance of this award to his late martial arts mentor, Sensei Richard Rabago, who had suggested Ford for the award before his passing in May 2012.