Ralph George Macchio (born November 4, 1961)[1] is an American actor with Italian ancestry.[2] He is best remembered for his role as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series.

Career

Born in Huntington, New York, on Long Island, Ralph Macchio attended Half Hollow Hills High School West.
Macchio began his acting career during the mid 1970s, as star of television commercials for products like Bubble Yum and Dr Pepper. In 1983, he starred alongside many young actors who had yet to become major stars such as C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and Matt Dillon in The Outsiders. It was not until 1984, however, that he became an international teen idol, after the release of the first Karate Kid movie, where he starred alongside Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. With his boyish looks, Macchio became one of the most famous teen idols of the mid-1980s, his face appearing on the cover of many teen "bubble gum" magazines such as Tiger Beat, 16, and Teen Beat.
Macchio participated in the first three Karate Kid movies, which came out in 1984, 1986 and 1989.
On April 5, 1987, he married Phyllis Fierro, with whom he has a son (Daniel, 1996) and a daughter (Julia, 1992). His parents, Ralph and Rosalie Macchio, own the Wild West Ranch and Western Town in Lake George, New York.[3]
In 1992, in his last major role to date, he starred opposite Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in the hit comedy My Cousin Vinny, playing the part of a big city boy wrongly accused of murder while passing through a small southern town. Also of note is his appearance in the film Crossroads. He played music student Eugene Martone, who battles Jack Butler (played by guitarist Steve Vai), a protégé of the Devil. Since the mid 1990s Macchio's film appearances have been occasional cameo or supporting roles, notably and recently A Good Night to Die (2003) and Beer League (2006).
In 2005 Macchio played himself in HBO's Entourage
On May 1, 2007 Macchio played himself in an episode of the Starz series Head Case with Alexandra Wentworth and Liz Phair.

Credits

• Head Case, Starz series, episode 5 (2007, as himself)
• Beer League (2006, Maz)
• Entourage HBO series, episode 11 Aquamansion (2005, as himself) along with Kevin Dillon as his former child star friend.
• A Good Night to Die (2003, Donnie)
• Popcorn Shrimp (2001, as a cop)
• The Office Party (2000, Sean)
• Can't Be Heaven (2000, Hubbie Darling)
• Dizzyland (1998)
• The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1998, video, voice of Tim)
• Naked in New York (1993, Chris)
• My Cousin Vinny (1992, Billy Gambini, alongside Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei)
• The Last P.O.W.? The Bobby Garwood Story (1992, television movie, Robert Garwood)
• Too Much Sun (1991, Frank Jr.)
• The Karate Kid, Part III (1989)
• Distant Thunder (1988, Jack Lambert)
• The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)
• Crossroads (1986, Eugene Martone)
• The Three Wishes of Billy Grier (1984, television movie, Billy Grier)
• Teachers (1984, Eddie Pilikian)
• The Karate Kid (1984, Daniel LaRusso)
• The Outsiders (1983, Johnny Cade)
• High Powder (1982, television movie, Eddie)
• Dangerous Company (1982, television movie, Denny Brody)
• Eight is Enough (1980, television series, Jeremy Andretti)
• Up the Academy (1980, Chooch Bambalazi)

Pop Culture

DJ Q-Ball of the Bloodhound Gang released a song on his MySpace called "The Ralph Macchio Memoirs." Poetry slam artist Big Poppa E references Ralph Macchio in his performance The Wussy Boy Manifesto. Nerdcore artist MC Frontalot mentions him in his song "Braggadocio."
Macchio is featured in a brief cameo at the end of the No More Kings video for Sweep the Leg.