Cooke has trained in wushu, taekwondo and karate. His awards include being named Competitor of the Year by Black Belt magazine in 1985, and five grand champion titles at the U.S. World and U.S. Open Karate tournaments. He is best known for his appearance as Reptile in the video-game movie of Mortal Kombat. He appeared as the younger Sub-Zero in the sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
He played a leading role in the 1995 science fiction/martial arts thriller Heatseeker, a follow-up to the 1988 Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton vehicle China O'Brien in which he also appeared. He also appeared in the 1997 Chris Farley comedy Beverly Hills Ninja, which starred fellow Mortal Kombat actor Robin Shou.Their previous role was referenced directly when, during their fight scene, music from Mortal Kombat begins to play. His mother is American and his late father, Richard Hirabayashi, was Japanese American.
