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“When you meet people, they think that you should still be a piece of their childhood. It's a unique existence being someone that that was arguably frozen in time. That element where you stole the movie, what you were doing that day. There are certain films that you remember that have an impact on you that you actually remember that day or where you saw it. And The Karate Kid, for whatever the reason, is that type of film.” Ralph Macchio had an impressive resume as a child actor before landing the life-changing role of unlikely karate champion Daniel LaRusso in the wildly popular movie, The Karate Kid.

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When The Karate Kid came out, Ralph Macchio became an instant international celebrity. Since that time, he’s enjoyed a successful career in television and film, including the recent television sequel to the Karate Kid trilogy, Cobra Kai, which Macchio not only stars in but also co-executive produces. Here’s a closer look at the journey of this American pop culture icon.

Becoming the Karate Kid

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Ralph George Macchio Jr. was born in Huntington, New York on November 4, 1961. His parents were Rosalie and Ralph Macchio, Sr., who owned a Long Island ranch.

Macchio began taking dance lessons when he was just three years old, and was discovered while performing in a dance recital at age 16. Initially, Macchio wasn’t sold on becoming an actor, and sent a friend to audition in his place when he decided to attend a beach party instead. Macchio did eventually end up coming around to acting with commercial gigs including Bubble Yum and Dr. Pepper. This led to his first film role in the 1990 movie, Up the Academy. Macchio then returned to the small screen for his first major role on the television series Eight is Enough. 

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Macchio’s first big break came in 1983 when he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders alongside many young stardom-bound actors, including Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, and Rob Lowe. 

Macchio’s star rose even higher the following year when the first Karate Kid movie was released. Along with its sequels, The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III, this opportunity further cemented Macchio’s celebrity while also positioning him as a heartthrob with his face gracing the covers of teen magazines like Teen Beat, Tiger Beat, and 16. A noteworthy fact? While Macchio’s biggest fans may have been swooning high school girls, he was in his mid-20s at the height of The Karate Kid craze.

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Macchio has said while reflecting on the film and its staying power,  “That's the beauty of what happened with the release of The Karate Kid back in 1984 and still to this day is that people connect. It connects on a level. It's relatable. Daniel Russo was the every kid next door. And I think that's one of the things I'm most proud of with that character.”

Return to Cobra Kai

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Unfortunately, Macchio’s youthful appearance made it hard for him to transition to adult roles. After several box office disappointments including Teachers, Crossroads and Distant Thunder, Macchio turned his attention to the stage with engagements in Broadway’s Cuba and His Teddy Bear alongside Robert DeNiro and the US tour revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. According to Macchio, this was a perfect fit. "I was known as the 'Dancing Kid,' not that I was all that great. But I had been dancing since the age of three, taking lessons at the June Claire School of Dance in Babylon, Long Island,” he explained.

Macchio’s film career may have stalled, but it was far from over. In 1992, he had another career breakthrough with My Cousin Vinny. Despite the film’s critical and commercial success, Macchio’s victory was short-lived. He still struggled to get parts, and the bulk of his work over the next decade was supporting roles and cameos.

Macchio pivoted yet again, this time as a competitor on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. A fan favorite, he ended up placing fourth in the competition after begin eliminated during the semi-finals. Looking back, Macchio credits the reality show with reinvigorating his career. Subsequent roles included He’s Way More Famous Than You and Hitchcock. Macchio also tried his hand at producing with the National Geographic Channel series, American Gypsies. 

Most recently, Macchio can be seen reprising the role that made him famous on the Karate Kid sequel, Cobra Kai. In addition to starring on the show, he co-executive produces the YouTube series with his Karate Kid co-star and on-screen rival, William Zabka. Taking place 34 years after the first movie’s conclusion, the series revisits the rivalry between a down-on-his-luck Johnny Lawrence and a now-successful Daniel LaRusso. 

After years of being asked to return to the role, Macchio didn't feel right about bringing back the character until Cobra Kai came along. "I always felt the legacy of the film, I was very protective of it. I was very protective of the character and felt it was easier and smarter to let the legacy stand on its own and not attempt to go back to the well," Macchio said. "But ['Cobra Kai'] was a combination of the creators, writers and producers who had just a smart angle and vision for this show. They were the 11 and 12-year-old kids that saw the movie a thousand times and wanted to make the show that they wanted to see. I believe that they were the right guys to do it."

The risk paid off. The show debuted to an enthusiastic audience, and its second season premiered in April 2019. Continues Macchio of Cobra Kai’s success,  “The clock keeps ticking, but when the clock keeps ticking and you could have something that still resonates for decades on end and now we're talking into second and third generations it's a pretty, it's a pretty wonderful thing, you know, and to see the success of the Cobra Kai series off the source material, which was the original Karate Kid film, that you can still take characters from that time and combine it within the nostalgia yet create a fresh, a relevant take in 2019 and it'd be appealing all the way around is you know, that's, that's the cherry on top. You know what I mean? It's really special.”

Macchio understands and shares the fans’ nostalgia for the movie. In fact, he recently admitted to owning the yellow 1947 Ford convertible that Miyagi gave LaRusso in the film.

Macchio is also more than happy to indulge fans who want to connect with him over the movie and the role.  "Being at this point in my life and understanding how rare these scenarios are where you can touch millions of people around the world with a story and a character, being negative about that is just silly...I try to embrace it all and consider it a blessing,” he said.