Ralph George Macchio (born November 4, 1961) is an American actor of Italian ancestry. His most notable role was as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series.
Born in Huntington, Long Island, New York, Macchio attended Half Hollow Hills West High School.
Macchio first became a star when he appeared in television commercials for products such as Bubble Yum and Dr Pepper. His first major role was playing Jeremy in the television series Eight Is Enough. In 1983, he appeared alongside many young actors who had yet to become major stars such as C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and Matt Dillon in The Outsiders.
It was not until 1984 that Macchio became an international teen idol, after the release of the first Karate Kid movie in which he stars alongside Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. He continued this success with the film's sequels, Karate Kid Part II (1986) and III (1989). 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.
In 1992, 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 1986 film Crossroads. He plays 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.
In 2008, he appeared in a VitaminWater commercial that featured NASCAR driver Carl Edwards. Macchio was depicted as Edwards' "spiritual advisor", and dressed in his Karate Kid garb.
On April 5, 1987, Macchio married Phyllis Fierro, with whom he has a daughter (Julia, born 1992) and a son (Daniel, born 1996). He has one brother, Steven. His parents, Ralph and Rosalie Macchio, own the Wild West Ranch and Western Town in Lake George, New York
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.
Jimmie Urine of the band Mindless Self Indulgence refers to himself as Ralph Macchio in their DVD Our Pain, Your Gain during the song "Stupid MF."
