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Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( , ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel LaRusso in four Karate Kid films (1984–2025) and in Cobra Kai (2018–2025), a sequel television series. For his work in the latter, he was nominated for two Critics' Choice Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He is also known for portraying Johnny Cade in Francis Ford Coppola's ensemble 1983 film, The Outsiders, and Bill Gambini in Joe Pesci's 1992 film My Cousin Vinny. Additional appearances include Eight Is Enough (1980–1981), Crossroads (1986), Ugly Betty (2008–2009), and The Deuce (2017–2019). Macchio received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.
Macchio began tap dancing lessons at age three and was discovered by a talent agent at age 16. He also had minimal training in martial arts, learning a little karate and jiujitsu in elementary school, long before getting the role of Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid film franchise.
Macchio appeared in the 2007 music video for the song "Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings as a caricature of himself and Daniel LaRusso .
In June 2010, Macchio appeared in Funny or Die's online short, "Wax On, F*ck Off", in which his loved ones stage an intervention to turn the former child star from a well-adjusted family man into an addict besieged with tabloid scandal in order to help his career, with frequent references to The Karate Kid. "Wax On, F*ck Off with Ralph Macchio" Funny or Die; 2010 A recurring joke in the sketch is that Macchio is confused for an adolescent. The short was lauded by TV Guide's Bruce Fretts, who referred to the video as "sidesplitting" and "comic gold."Fretts, Bruce. "Cheers & Jeers"; TV Guide; July 5, 2010; Page 92
In 2013, Macchio appeared in How I Met Your Mother. One of the main characters, Barney Stinson, asserts that Macchio's character, Daniel LaRusso, in The Karate Kid is not the real karate kid; instead, it is Johnny Lawrence, Daniel's nemesis in the film. During a celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Karate Kid at the Japanese American National Museum in 2014, Macchio said that the yellow 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible that his character Daniel receives from Mr. Miyagi in the first film was sitting in his garage.
In 2022, Macchio published the memoir Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me (Dutton), where he reflects upon the legacy of the Karate Kid films and Cobra Kai.
In 1992, Macchio starred opposite Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in the hit comedy film My Cousin Vinny, playing Billy Gambini, who was wrongfully accused of murder while passing through a small Alabama town.
In 1996, Macchio performed the lead role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the U.S. tour revival of the 1962 Tony Award-winning musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and received positive reviews. Referring to his performance as a chorister in a high school production of the same musical, Macchio said, "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."
In 2005, Macchio played himself in the HBO series Entourage. Beginning in October 2008, Macchio appeared in several episodes of the ABC Network television series Ugly Betty as Archie Rodriguez, a local politician who is Hilda's love interest.
On September 20, 2010, Macchio played the adult Carl Morelli in a staged reading of the Charles Messina play A Room of My Own presented by The Bleecker Street Theatre Company. In February 2011, it was announced that Macchio would compete on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. He was eliminated during the semi-finals, placing fourth in the overall competition. Macchio appeared in Canadian band Danko Jones' music videos for "Had Enough" and "I Think Bad Thoughts."
In April 2012, Macchio was cast in the film Hitchcock, based on the non-fiction book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho. He portrayed Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano.
Macchio is a fan of the New York Islanders hockey team and was featured as the team's celebrity captain in the 1991 Pro Set Platinum trading card series. A 2016 bobblehead promotion saw his likeness in the team's uniform donning the iconic 'crane kick' pose from The Karate Kid.
Macchio earned his black belt in karate in April 2025, a little more than 40 years after portraying Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid. In 2023, Macchio said that before the filming, he was trained in the Okinawan Gōjū-ryū defensive style of karate used by Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi character. In May 2025, Macchio and his co-star Jackie Chan were awarded an honorary black belt by the World Karate Federation during the film's New York premiere.
Career
Eight is Enough and The Outsiders
In 1980, Macchio was cast as Jeremy Andretti for the final season of Eight Is Enough. He next won the role of Johnny Cade in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 cinematic adaptation of S. E. Hinton's novel, The Outsiders, and shared the screen with an ensemble cast that included Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Leif Garrett, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, and Patrick Swayze.
Daniel LaRusso
Original Karate Kid films
Macchio's work on The Outsiders helped him win the role of Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 blockbuster film The Karate Kid. He continued to portray the character in two of its sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). In The Karate Kid, Macchio portrayed a "high school weakling turned bullybuster" who learns karate from his friend and mentor, Mr. Miyagi (portrayed by Pat Morita). Macchio's work in the Karate Kid series made him "stratospherically famous."
Cobra Kai
From 2018 to 2025, Macchio reprised the role of Daniel LaRusso for the martial arts comedy drama television series Cobra Kai created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Cobra Kai premiered on May 2, 2018, and concluded on February 13, 2025, after six seasons consisting of 65 episodes. Originally released on YouTube Premium for its first two seasons, the series later moved to Netflix. Cobra Kai re-examines The Karate Kid films as Johnny Lawrence's "redemption story" that questions his role as a villain, and also introduces the struggles that both Daniel and Johnny face with their respective .
Karate Kid: Legends
In 2025, Macchio teamed up with Jackie Chan to again reprise the role of Daniel LaRusso in .
Other roles
In 1986, Macchio appeared in the 1986 film Crossroads, portraying music student Eugene Martone. That same year, Macchio starred in Cuba and His Teddy Bear on Broadway theatre, alongside Robert De Niro.
2024–present
Macchio was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.
Personal life
Macchio was introduced to his future wife, Phyllis Fierro, by his grandmother when he was 15. They married on April 5, 1987, and have two children together: Julia (b. 1992) and Daniel (b. 1996). Fierro is a nurse practitioner. Julia appeared in seasons 4 and 5 of Cobra Kai, portraying her father's character's cousin named Vanessa LaRusso.
Filmography
Film
1980 Up the Academy Chooch Bambalazi 1982 High Powder Eddie Television film Dangerous Company Denny Brody 1983 The Outsiders Johnny Cade 1984 The Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso Teachers Eddie Pilikian The Three Wishes of Billy Grier Billy Grier Television film 1986 Crossroads Eugene Martone The Karate Kid Part II Daniel LaRusso 1988 Distant Thunder Jack Lambert 1989 The Karate Kid Part III Daniel LaRusso 1991 Too Much Sun Frank Jr. 1992 The Last P.O.W.? The Bobby Garwood Story Bobby Garwood Television film My Cousin Vinny Bill Gambini 1993 Naked in New York Chris 1996 Journey Home: The Animals of Farthing Wood Fox Voice, direct-to-video 1998 Dizzyland N/A Short film Timmy Brisby Voice, direct-to-video 1999 Can't Be Heaven Hubbie Darling 2000 The Office Party Sean Short film 2001 Popcorn Shrimp Cop #2 2003 A Good Night to Die Donnie 2006 Beer League Maz 2009 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead Bobby Bianchi 2010 Wax On, F*ck Off Himself, concept writer Short film 2012 Hitchcock Joseph Stefano Holiday Spin Ruben Television film 2013 He's Way More Famous Than You Himself Across Grace Alley Father Short film 2014 A Little Game Tom 2015 Lost Cat Corona Dominic 2017 Nick Conforth Television film 2018 A Dog and Pony Show Aaron 2025 Daniel LaRusso Also executive producer
Television
1980–1981 Eight Is Enough Jeremy Andretti Recurring role (19 episodes) 1982 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Tony Barnett Episode: "Journey to Survival" 1999 The Outer Limits Dr. Neal Eberhardt Episode: "The Other Side" 2000 Chicken Soup for the Soul Max Episode: "Letters to Suzie" Twice in a Lifetime Officer Dan Payello/Phillip Barbosa Episode: "My Blue Heaven" 2005 Entourage Himself Episode: "Aquamansion" 2007 Head Case Episode: "Ralph Macchio and Liz Phair" 2008–2009 Ugly Betty Archie Rodriguez Recurring role (11 episodes) 2010 Louis Marciano Episode: "" Psych Nick Conforth Episode: "We'd Like to Thank the Academy" 2011 The Whole Truth Frankie Berlito Episode: "Lost in Translation" Dancing with the Stars Himself (contestant) Placed in fourth (17 episodes) 2012 Happily Divorced Frankie Episodes: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" (Parts 1 & 2) 2013 Robot Chicken Daniel LaRusso, Colonel Steven Shay, Janitor Voice, episode: "Caffeine-Induced Aneurysm" How I Met Your Mother Himself Episode: "The Bro Mitzvah" 2014 Psych Logan Phelps Episode: "Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement" 2016 Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe Himself/roaster Television special 2017–2019 The Deuce Officer Haddix Recurring role (17 episodes) 2017 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Himself Special Guest (Season 13, Episode 8) 2018 Kevin Can Wait Alviti 2 episodes: "The Smoking Bun" and "Phat Monkey" Conan Himself Episode: "Conan Without Borders: Japan"; pre-recorded video clip 2018–2025 Cobra Kai Daniel LaRusso Main role, also directed "Sleeper"
Continuation of The Karate Kid film series
Theatre
1986 Cuba and his Teddy Bear Teddy The Public Theater 1996–1997 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying J. Pierrepont Finch US national tour
Music videos
+ Music videos
! Year
! Title
! Artist
! Role 2007 Sweep the Leg No More Kings Himself / Daniel LaRusso 2010 "Had Enough" Danko Jones Dr. Lee Dorian 2011 "I Think Bad Thoughts" 2012 "The Ballad of Danko Jones" 2024 "The Karate Kid" Coldplay Busker
Video games
2020 Daniel LaRusso 2022 Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising
Book
External links
Categories: 1961 Births, Living People, 20th-century American Male Actors, 21st-century American Male Actors, American Male Film Actors, American Male Karateka, American Male Television Actors, American People Of Greek Descent, American People Of Italian Descent, Gōjū-ryū Practitioners, Male Actors From New York, People From Dix Hills, New York, People From Huntington, New York, People Of Campanian Descent, Long Island International Film Expo Award Winners
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