There was a time in Ralph Macchio鈥檚 life where he couldn鈥檛 imagine playing 鈥� 鈥� protagonist Daniel LaRusso ever again. After three films, Macchio didn鈥檛 think there was more to add to the story, and he wanted to flex his acting chops with other roles.
鈥淧eople think I live in Newark, New Jersey, and my mom drives a green station wagon, and I have this Japanese American guy who fixes the faucet when I need him," said the actor, who has a new book out called 鈥淲axing On: The Karate Kid and Me,鈥� about his experience making 鈥淜arate Kid鈥� and how time helped him embrace the character.
Macchio's feelings were only reinforced in 2005 when Pat Morita, who played his mentor and father figure, Mr. Miyagi, passed away.
鈥淚t just seemed, why dance a solo without my partner? It鈥檚 like, you know Abbott without Costello... He and I had something special from the he started reading Mr. Miyagi and I would answer back as Daniel. That chemistry was unique and effortless."
Over time, it was William Zabka, who played Macchio's 鈥淜arate Kid鈥� nemesis Johnny Lawrence, who felt there was more story to tell.
鈥淗e was always like, 'I wonder if there鈥檚 a way to bring these two together," said Macchio.
Macchio was surprisingly intrigued when Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg pitched the idea of 鈥� ,鈥� a continuation series of these characters some 30 years later. After two seasons on YouTube, it was picked up by Netflix where it was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series. Season five is now streaming.
鈥淭hey just saw how you could open up this world and take the black and white of 鈥楰arate Kid鈥� and add all these gray shades of these characters where not everyone is good or bad all the time and your allegiance may change as you learn (character's) back stories, and that鈥檚 really a lesson on how to do it and how to do it right. And then we have this great young cast as well. They鈥檙e just incredible. They鈥檙e becoming big stars."
With his book, Macchio is forthcoming about some things he would go back and do differently if he could. When Elisabeth Shue was written out of the sequel after the first 鈥淜arate Kid,鈥� he says he should've contacted her.
鈥淚 was doing a movie called 鈥楾eachers鈥� at the time, and then I had 鈥楥rossroads鈥� and 鈥楰arate Kid II鈥� lined up, and I didn鈥檛 stop to think of what that might have felt like for her. So then years later, I look back and I think I would have probably picked up the phone at that point."
Macchio says he's always had an appreciation for the impact of 鈥淜arate Kid鈥� but writing 鈥淲axing On鈥� amplified that.
鈥淚t was even deeper and more poignant as I was writing.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
