Ralph Macchio
| Ralph Macchio | |
|---|---|
Macchio in 2016
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| Born |
Ralph George Macchio, Jr. November 4, 1961 Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse(s) | Phyllis Fierro (m. 1987) |
| Children | Julia Macchio, Daniel Macchio |
Ralph George Macchio, Jr. (/ˈmɑːtʃi.oʊ/, Italian pronunciation: [ˈmakkjo]; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid series, Eugene Martone in Crossroads, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his recurring role as Jeremy Andretti in the fifth season of the television comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. He also appeared on the television comedy Ugly Betty in the recurring role of Archie, a local Queens politician. He competed on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars. Macchio also appeared twice on the show Psych.
Macchio was born in Huntington, New York. He is the son of Rosalie (née DeSantis) and Ralph Macchio, Sr., who owned a ranch. His father is of half Greek and half Italian descent, and his mother is of Italian ancestry. In a 1980 screen test, Macchio stated his family is from Naples.
Macchio first appeared on American television commercials for products such as Bubble Yum and Dr Pepper. His on-screen debut was in the 1980 film Up the Academy, and his first major role was playing Jeremy Andretti in the television series Eight Is Enough. In 1983, he appeared as Johnny Cade in The Outsiders alongside many young actors who had yet to become major stars, such as C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, and Matt Dillon. In 1984, Macchio became known internationally following the release of the first Karate Kid film. Playing high school senior Daniel LaRusso, Macchio was actually in his early twenties when the film was made. He continued this success with the film's sequels, The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III. In the mid-1980s, Macchio's face began appearing on the covers of many teen "bubblegum" magazines such as Tiger Beat, 16, and Teen Beat. Macchio appeared in the 1986 film Crossroads, portraying music student Eugene Martone. In 1992, he starred opposite Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in the hit comedy My Cousin Vinny, playing William Gambini, who was wrongly accused of murder while passing through a small Alabama town. It was the first significant adult role of his career.
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