What the Hell Happened to Ralph Macchio?

In the 1980’s Ralph Macchio was a teen heartthrob.  He rose to prominence along with with other hot actors of his generation with roles in iconic movies that are still relevant today.  Macchio managed to avoid the Brat Pack label that doomed many of his contemporaries.  But he struggled with transitioning to adult roles.  In the early nineties, after a small role in one last memorable movie, Macchio faded into obscurity.

What the hell happened?

Like a lot of actors, Macchio started off doing commercials.  Here is the future Karate Kid singing and dancing about the “yummier” taste of new Bubble Yum in a 1980 TV spot.

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Ralph Macchio – Up the Academy – 1980

Macchio made his movie debut in the teen comedy, Up the Academy.

Macchio played Chooch Bambalazi, one of four boys sent to a strict military academy.  The band of misfit brothers attempt to make the best of their situation with “zany” antics.

Up the Academy was Mad Magazine’s answer to National Lampoon’s Animal House.  In 1983, Mad Magazine editor explained how Up the Academy came about:

What happened is that we had a contract with Warner Brothers to put out a Mad movie. It’s like four years old now. They came up with a script that we didn’t like, and then they came up with a script using our scriptwriters that they didn’t like, but meanwhile they threw this script onto our desk… Although there were many things in it that I thought were offensive and should be removed, generally I liked the script. And I thought, ‘Well, in addition to a Mad movie, there’s nothing wrong with having something like Lampoon did with Animal HouseAnimal House was “Lampoon Presents” and really had nothing to do with the magazine, it was just using their name, and it was a good movie, and it was very successful, and it made Lampoon a lot of money. I guess. So we were going to do the same thing. “Mad Magazine Completely Disassociates Itself from Up the Academy“. But that was too long for them, they can’t think in that many words. They put the damn thing out without all the deletions they had promised to make, which means they’re liars.

Gaines sought to mitigate the damage Up the Academy inflicted on the Mad brand:

“There we were connected with it, and there wasn’t much we could do about it. I paid Warner Brothers 30 grand to take Mad’s name off for television. So for $30,000 we got out of being associated with it on Home Box Office. It won’t say “Mad Magazine Presents” and Alfred E. Neuman won’t be in it. And it was well worth $30,000.”

Mad and Warner Brothers were sister companies under the Time Warner umbrella.  After Gaines’ death in 1992, Time Warner took greater control of the magazine.  This allowed Warner Brothers to put all of the references to Mad back into future Up the Academy for home video release.

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Ralph Macchio – Up the Academy – 1980

Gaines wasn’t the only one trying to distance himself from Up the Academy.  Actor Ron Leibman had his name completely removed from the credits and all promotional materials.  Macchio recalled Leibman’s frustration on the set:

“I don’t know why he did the movie. He was very good in it, but making that movie, it was a very weird dynamic. As I say, I was so young and green, and there was a lot of… It just wasn’t a happy set from the adult standpoint. Us kids, we had a good time, but there were problems with production, I think, on that movie.” 

Up the Academy was directed by Robert Downey, Sr. Yes, the future Iron Man is his son.  Robert Downey Jr had a small uncredited role in the film.  He was 13 years old at the time.  

The movie was not a hit with critics or audiences.  William Gaines sent hand-written apology letters to anyone who wrote the magazine to complain.  But Macchio credits his appearance in Up the Academy with furthering his career:

“That was my first part and my first big audition. I got the part, and I just overacted like I’m some young Italian Mafia guy. Thick accent. Hey, listen, it got me the next job! “

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Ralph Macchio – Eight Is Enough – 1980-1981

“The next job” was a regular role on the TV comedy-drama, Eight is Enough. Macchio joined the show for its final season from 1980-1981.

The show was based on the writings of syndicated newspaper columnist, Thomas Braden who wrote a book about raising his eight kids.  In the show, Dick Van Patten played Tom Bradford, a newspaper columnist with eight kids.  His wife, Joan, was played by actress Diana Hyland for the first four episodes.  Tragically, Hyland was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to be written out of the rest of the season.  She passed 12 days after the first episode aired.  She was romantically involved with John Travolta at the time.

The show’s second season acknowledged Hyland’s death by making Tom Bradford a widower.  In the first episode of the second season, he married a school teacher played by Betty Buckley.  Buckley was cast partially because she had played a similar role in the hit movie, Carrie.  The show made teen idols of its young stars  Grant Goodeve and Willie Aames.  Yes, Bibleman was a Tiger Beat sensation once upon a time.

As the young cast matured, Macchio was cast to keep the youth demographic.  He played Abby’s orphaned nephew who gets taken in by the Bradford clan.  Macchio recalled being cast on the show:

“I was coming right off Up The Academy, and I auditioned for that part, got the network test, and I was on the set of Eight Is Enough in, like, 24 hours. I was just like, “Wow!” And then the actors went on strike for three months that day. I’ll never forget that… I guess at the time, it was like, “Let’s get a Scott Baio type and infuse some youth into the cast of this show in its fifth season.” 

Like Goodeve and Aames before him, Macchio started showing up on the covers of teen magazines.

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Ralph Macchio – Tiger Beat – 1981

Apparently this issue contained a sexy centerfold of Macchio!  I’m sorry.  Ralph.  No one on this cover has a last name except for Dukes of Hazzard star, John Schneider.  I wonder if that’s why he wasn’t subjected to a cheesy Christmas poze.

Unfortunately, nothing in Macchio’s giant Christmas stocking could save Eight is Enough.  It was cancelled at the end of the fifth season.  But Macchio’s teen heartthrob days were just getting started.

In 1982, Macchio worked in TV movies.  He appeared opposite Beau Bridges in Dangerous Company (see clip above).  He starred in a CBS Afternoon Playhouse entitled Journey to Survival.  And he appeared alongside his TV uncle, Dick Van Patten in the TV drama, High Powder.  High Powder also featured several of Van Patten’s own kids.

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Ralph Macchio and Matt Dillon – The Outsiders – 1983

In 1983, Macchio got his big break in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders.

Macchio played Johnny, a member of a gang of teens known as the Greasers.  The star-studded gang of hoodlums included then-unknowns Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez and some kid named Tom Cruise.  The Greasers have a rivalry with a gang of rich kids called the Socs (pronounced “soashes” because they are socialites).  Diane Lane co-stars as one of the Socs girlfriends.

Coppola became interested in filming The Outsiders when a school class voted him the director they would most like to see adapt the novel.  The class sent the director a letter and a copy of the book.  Coppola became so interested, that he also optioned Hinton’s book, Rumble Fish.

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The Outsiders Poster – 1983

The film’s poster shows the Greasers laughing.  During the photo session, Leif Garret was approaching the craft table off-camera to get something to eat.  One of the stagehands didn’t recognize that Garrett was in the movie and tried to chase him off saying “The food is for the talent.”  Macchio sarcastically said, “Yeah, it’s for the TALENT!” The cast cracked up and the candid photo was used in all of the movie’s marketing material.

Macchio rad the book when he was 12 and was excited to be cast in the movie:

“I got to be in the movie I’d dreamed to be in, and I got to play the part I wanted. So it holds a special place for me. And all those guys in the cast, S.E. Hinton, Francis Ford Coppola… There’s just a kindred spirit around that group. It was awesome. Plus, I got to say, “Stay gold,” and then die.  It doesn’t get better than that in cinema.” 

Most of the young cast was in their late teens.  Swayze was 30 and Macchio was an old man at 20.  At the time, they were all unknowns.  But many would go on to great success in the eighties.  According to Macchio:

“We were all just coming up at that point. I guess Matt Dillon had My Bodyguard and a couple of others in the can. Leif Garrett was probably the biggest star in the movie at that point.  But Cruise had just come out of Taps with Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. Yeah, it’s amazing. Any time I see any of those guys, Rob or Emilio or C. Thomas Howell, it’s like you’re seeing a brother or a cousin. It’s just instant. You’ve got a bond.” 

Reviews were mixed to positive and The Outsiders did reasonably well at the box office.

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Ralph Macchio – The Karate Kid – 1984

In 1984, Macchio had his star-making role in the underdog-makes-good coming-of-age movie, The Karate Kid.

Macchio starred as teenager Daniel LaRusso.  Daniel and his single mom move to California where he is a fish out of water.  When he makes eyes at a rich cutie played by Elisabeth Shue, he makes an enemy of her jealous ex-boyfriend.  Professional 80’s bad guy, William Zabka played Johnny Lawrence, the borderline psychotic who bullies Macchio.  The bullying gets so bad that a kindly handyman played by Pat Morita decides to teach Daniel karate in order to defend himself.

Macchio was actually 22 when he played teenage Daniel LaRusso.  The movie’s success would forever associate the actor with the high school-aged under-dog.  Macchio reflected on playing such an iconic character:

“Daniel LaRusso, talk about an ingrained part. It becomes your alter ego: People think that’s actually my name, they think I grew up in Newark, they think I actually know martial arts. I keep fooling them into believing it’s true, but… That character, he’s become part of popular culture, a relatable underdog that hopefully will continue to entertain generations. He really was the everykid next door that we all believed we could be. He had no business winning anything, but in the end, he was victorious. It’s a great coming-of-age story, and, well, what can I say? Almost 30 years later, and people are still reciting lines to me to this day.” 

Former screen-writer,  Dennis Palumbo was offered the chance to write the script for The Karate Kid.  But he said he would only do it if Daniel lost the fight at the end.  According to Palumbo, “You can’t have Mr. Miyagi tell him, ‘It doesn’t matter if you win or lose,’ for 90 minutes and then have to have him win.” Palumbo went on to say, “But that’s because I was being a moron… Now, they made four sequels to that movie, so obviously I was wrong.”

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Ralph Macchio and Elisabeth Shue – The Karate Kid – 1984

Co-star Elisabeth Shue put her studies at Harvard on hold in order to appear in The Karate Kid.  Martin Kove, who played the twisted martial arts instructor Kreese, turned down several roles in order to be available when The Karate Kid started filming.  After missing out on several parts, Kove was angry with director John G. Avildsen for the delays which were costing him work.  He used his anger in the audition and landed the role.

The song, You’re the Best, was originally written for Rocky III.  But the song was rejected in favor of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.  So it was used in The Karate Kid instead. Survivor (who clearly are not a one-hit wonder band)  also landed a song on the Karate Kid soundtrack.

The Karate Kid became a surprise hit in the summer of 1984.  Reviews were mostly positive and Morita was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.  Macchio’s teen idol status went through the roof.

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Ralph Macchio – Teachers – 1984

Later in 1984, Machhio appeared opposite Nick Nolte in the social satire, Teachers.

Nolte starred as a cool teacher at a high school that is being sued by a former student who claims he was graduated without being taught to read or write.  (I think I’ve read his blog once or twice).  Macchio played a street-wise kid Nolte’s character tries to reach.  The ensemble cast included 
JoBeth Williams, Judd Hirsch, Richard Mulligan, Morgan Freeman, Laura Dern and Crispin Glover.

Expectations were high for Teachers (The movie, that is.  Not necessarily the profession).  It was directed by Arther Hiller who had directed the  Paddy Chayefsky-written black comedy, The Hospital.  Teachers was intended to be a satire along the lines of Chayefsky’s The Hospital and Network.  But the script wasn’t up to Chayefsky’s standards and Hiller couldn’t elevate the material on his own.

In spite of mixed reviews, Teachers opened at #1 at the box office.  It opened in October when there wasn’t a lot of competition, so it was able to ride the number one spot for three consecutive weeks.  It was finally knocked out of the top spot Halloween weekend by The Terminator.

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Ralph Macchio – The Three Wishes of Billy Grier – 1984

In November of ’84, Macchio starred in a TV movie called The Three Wishes of Billy Grier.

Macchio played a teenager who ages at an accelerated rate.  The irony of this is not lost on the baby-faced Macchio:

“I played a character who had an aging disorder where he aged aggressively quickly, whereas one could argue that I have the antithesis of that disease. [Laughs.] I just turned 50, and I can’t hide it, because you guys could look it up, but I look… a little younger than that. Some would say freakishly so. I always say I’m a man-child. But considering the alternative, I’ll take it.”

Betty Buckley, who played Macchio’s aunt in Eight is Enough, played his mother.  Hal Holbrook played his grandpa.

Macchio questioned the wisdom of making a TV movie while his big screen career was taking off:

“It was weird, though, because the original Karate Kid was just hitting, so there was a big question of, “Should we do a television movie?” Because those days were much different from now, where the best writing is arguably on television. But we felt like it was such a stretching kind of role for me. [Hesitates.] There are moments in it that are really good, like the makeup, Mike Westmore was doing that. But to have me as a little boy who looks like he’s 90, that was kind of weird. But it was of the times.”

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Ralph Macchio – Crossroads – 1986

In 1986, returned to the big screen in Walter Hill’s the musical drama, Crossroads.

Macchio starred as a musical prodigy who becomes interested in learning the blues.  He finds a mentor in Willie Brown, a blues musician who legend has it traded his soul to the devil.  Together, they travel to the Mississippi Delta in search of a lost song.  Along their travels, they meet a hitchhike played by eighties it-girl Jami Gertz.

 Macchio was reluctant to play another student.  He explained why he decided to make another movie with similar themes:

“Well, it was a Columbia film, and I was doing the Karate Kid films with them, and since that was pretty successful, they were trying to keep me in the family, at least for a little while. Our biggest concern was that it was still mentor-student, and we wanted to not necessarily stay on that path. But the film is very different in tone, and Walter Hill was a filmmaker who’d made his mark with The Warriorsand 48 Hrs., and he was shooting Streets Of Fire right before then. We just sort of hit it off and figured we’d go down this path with that film.” 

Towards the end of the movie, Macchio’s character engages in a guitar duel with a musician played by Steve Vai.  In real life, Vai recorded both halves of the duel.

Reviews for Crossroads were mixed to positive.  But the movie bombed at the box office.  It opened at an embarrassing 7th place.  To put that in persepctive, it got beat by the horror movie, House, which was in its third week of release.  Crossroads was a test to see if Macchio could carry a picture that wasn’t called The Karate Kid.  Without the help of Mr. Miyagi, Maccio failed.

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Ralph Macchio – The Karate Kid, Part II – 1986

Fortunately, Mr. Miyagi wasn’t far behind.  Later that year, Macchio and Pat Morita returned for the sequel, The Karate Kid Part II.

In the sequel, Daniel accompanies Mr. Miyagi back to Okinawa to visit his dying father.  Mr Miyagi must face an old rival and Daniel makes a new enemy.  I swear, every time this guy kisses a girl, someone wants to beat him up.

Work on the sequel began 10 days after the first film was released.  Karate Kid Part II opens with a scene immediately following the tournament from the first film.  The scene was cut from the original script and was included in the novelization of the first film.  But, contrary to popular opinion, the scene was not originally filmed.  It was shot specifically for the sequel which is why Shue does not appear in it.  Shue was supposed to return for a cameo in which she and Daniel break up.  But she had returned to Harvard and was unavailable to film the sequel.

Originally, the screenwriters could not decide between focusing the sequel on Mr. Miyagi or on the villain Kreese.  Ultimately, they decided to save Kreese’s revenge plot for the third movie.

The song was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Song.  I’m not quite sure what knights and castles had to do with The Karate Kid.  But the song helped launch Cetera’s post-Chicago solo career.

The Karate Kid Part II received mixed to negative reviews.  But based on the popularity of the first film and the hit soundtrack, the movie was a box office hit.  It actually out-grossed the first film and became the most successful in the original series.

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Ralph Macchio – Disntant Thunder – 1988

In 1988, Macchio starred opposite John Lithgow in the Vietnam War drama, Distant Thunder.

Lithgow played a Vietnam vet suffering from PTSD.  When he returns home from war, he goes off to live in the remote wilderness by himself rather than facing his family.  Ten years later, he attempts to reconnect with the son he has never known.  Macchio plays the now 18-year-old son with some obvious daddy issues.

Distant Thunder received mixed reviews.  It opened in only 31 theaters and did not place on the box office charts.  Vietnam films that weren’t Rambo-esque revenge fantasies were a tough sell pre-Platoon.

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Ralph Macchio – The Karate Kid, Part III – 1989

In 1989, Macchio and Morita returned again for The Karate Kid Part III.

The third film takes place just a year after the first film despite the fact that five years have passed in real time.  Macchio, who was 22 when he made the first Karate Kid was now pushing 30 and still playing a kid.  This time, Daniel and Miyagi are put at odds when the villainous Kreese enacts an extremely elaborate revenge plot.

As beloved as the first Karate Kid was, no one was really interested in the third installment of the series.  Reviews were universally negative and the movie bombed at the box office.  Karate Kid Part III opened at number three at the box office behind the first Batman and Honey I Shrunk the Kids both of which were in their second week of release.  The final chapter in the Daniel LaRusso story was nominated for five Golden Raspberry awards including a Razzie nomination for Macchio.  He “lost” to William Shatner for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Columbia wasn’t quite done with the Karate Kid franchise yet.  In 1994, they attempted to restart the series with an unknown Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid.  When that movie flopped, the series was put on ice until the 2010 remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.  Machhio says that the Karate Kids have been in touch:

“Hilary Swank and Jaden Smith? I know, I’m like the Obi-Wan Kenobi for them, right? Miyagi would be the Yoda in that equation, I guess, but I’m the Obi-Wan to their Skywalker. Yeah, I’ve connected with them, and we always smile and laugh if we see each other. But you know how it is: Of the bunch, I’m always gonna say that Daniel LaRusso is the best.”

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Too Much Sun – 1990

In 1990, Macchio appeared as part of an ensemble in the comedy Too Much Sun.

This is one of those comedies where a rich person writes a will to force his beneficiaries to do something zany.  In this case, the dying rich daddy stipulates that either his gay son or lesbian daughter has to produce a grandchild within a year of his death.  Hi-larious!

Too Much Sun was directed by Macchio’s Up the Academy director, Robert Downey Sr.  That most likely explains both Macchio’s presence and the presence of the director’s son, Robert Downey Jr.  Eric Idle, presumably, was there for the paycheck.

The movie never received a theatrical release.

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Ralph Macchio – My Cousin Vinny – 1992

In 1992, Macchio appeared in the fish-out-of water legal comedy, My Cousin Vinny.

Joe Pesci played a rookie New York lawyer who is in over his head defending two murder suspects in his first case.  Macchio played one of the two suspects who hires Pesci because they are related and because he claims that the new lawyer never loses an argument.  Marisa Tomei played Pesci’s fiancee and the terrific Fred Gwynne (better known as Herman Munster) played the country judge hearing the case.

My Cousin Vinny is a borderline classic comedy that went on to snag Tomei an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.  But it didn’t do a lot for Macchio who had a thankless role.  Macchio says he was just happy to be in a good movie with an excellent cast:

“The whole cast was great. I had the part that was the least funny, but I had to be in the movie. And I got to say ‘the two yoots.’ [Laughs.] People yell that out to me. I could walk down the street today, and someone could yell that out. That, and ‘I shot the clerk.’ But it’s great to have a couple of those. My Cousin VinnyThe OutsidersThe Karate Kid… When I look back at that time, any one of those, you’d be happy with. So I got pretty lucky.” 

My Cousin Vinny received positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.  It was the last hit Macchio would have a substantial role in for the rest of his movie career.

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Ralph Macchio – The Last P.O.W.?: The Bobby Garwood Story – 1993

In 1993, Macchio starred opposite Martin Sheen in The Last P.O.W.?: The Bobby Garwood Story.

Robert Garwood was a Vietnam vet who claimed to have seen several American prisoners of war remaining in Vietnam before he left.  Garwood’s claims have been disputed and Garwood himself has been accused of collaborating with the enemy.  Garwood was a consultant on the TV movie which tells his version of events.

The TV movie was filmed in 1990, but wasn’t broadcast until 1993.  The fact that a network sat on the movie for three years tells you a great deal about how little demand there was for Macchio following The Karate Kid.

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Ralph Macchio – Naked in New York – 1993

In 1993, Macchio appeared in the indie rom com, Naked in New York.

Eric Stoltz starred as a struggling playwright whose latest Off Broadway play is being ruined by two actors played by Kathleen Turner and Chris Noth.  Mary Louise Parker played Stoltz’s girlfriend and Macchio played his best bud.  The trailer also promises a “special appearance by Whoopi Goldberg”.  Oooo.  I can’t wait.

Stoltz spent the entire decade making quirky indie movies no one saw.  Naked in New York was one of those movies.

In 1994, Macchio filmed six episodes of a TV sitcom called The Ties That Bind.  Macchio explained the premise:

“It was a half-hour comedy—the first time I ever did a multi-camera show—that I did for Warner Bros. that never got on the air, even though we shot six episodes. I played… geez, I don’t remember the guy’s name, either! I want to say it was Michael. But it was one of those half-hours that didn’t work for a bunch of reasons. It was developed for me, but… I don’t know, I always wanted the show to be, like, Roseanne About You, because at that time I wanted it to have the edge of Roseanne, but also be like Mad About You. But it turned more toward a softer, not-as-good version of Full House, without any edge whatsoever. I’m not exactly sure what happened. But they did bring in Andrew “The Non-Dice” Clay to play my cousin, I think it was. He came in on the second episode, and they were trying to infuse a little bit of ballsy comedy. And he got another show out of it, and I went off the air. So that was a little bit of a dip in my career at that point. “

Tapes of the pilot were sent to households containing women between the ages of 18 to 34. The women were asked their opinions on the show for market research. The tapes were designed to erase as they played.  Apparently, the ladies of the house were not impressed with what they saw.  The show was not picked up.  It’s so obscure I can’t find a single picture or clip to accompany the article.

Meanwhile, Pat Morita was teaching Hilary Swank how to be The Next Karate Kid in theaters.  Ouch.

In 1998, Macchio appeared in the drama, Dizzyland.  Danielle Harris starred as a sexually abused teen.  This is another project so obscure that the internet failed to provide me with suitable pictures or clips.  I say “suitable” because an image search for “dizzyland” will yield lots of results.  None of them related to Macchio unless he was in drag.

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The Secret of Nimh 2: Timmy to the Rescue – 1998

Also in 1998, Macchio lent his voice to the direct-to-video animated sequel, The Secret of Nimh 2: Timmy to the Rescue.

Macchio played Timmy, a mouse on a mission to rescue some other mice or something.

The kiddie sequel was a blatant cash grab.  Don Bluth who produced the original film had nothing to do with the direct-to-tape follow-up.  Reviews were mostly negative.

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The Outer Limits

In 1999, Macchio appeared on an episode of The Outer Limits.  Macchio played a doctor who experiments with comatose patients.  Macchio didn’t sound to excited to be a part of the long-running series:

“Yeah, it’s The Outer Limits. Everybody does one. You go up to Vancouver, you shoot an Outer Limits. That’s the law. I’m not a sci-fi guy—I know people who are nuts about the genre, but I don’t really get it, it’s not my thing—but it wasn’t really sci-fi or gross horror or anything. It was more scientific. And it was something different. So you bang it out in a couple of days, then it ends up on TV, and you hope it comes out okay.”

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Ralph Macchio – Together Forever – 2000

By 2000, Macchio was doing guest spots on Tv shows like Chicken Soup for the Soul and Twice in a Lifetime.  No, I’ve never heard of them either.  He also played a ghost from ’30s who mentors a little boy who has a crush on Michelle Trachtenberg in Forever Together which was also known as Can’t Be Heaven.  He was also in a short film called The Office Party which co-starred Carol Kane and Jon Stewart.

In 2001, Macchio appeared in another short film called Popcorn Shrimp.  It was written and directed by Christopher Walken.

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Ally Sheedy and Ralph Macchio – A Good Night to Die – 2003

In 2003, Macchio appeared in the crime drama, A Good Night to Die.

A Good Night to Die is about a bunch of hitmen all targeting the same man.  Gary Stretch played an assassin trying to save his former protege played by Michael Rapaport.  Macchio and Ally Sheedy played a brother-and-sister hit squad.  And just to make sure everyone knows this is a Pulp Fiction wannabe, Debbie Harry and Frank Whaley show up too.

In 2005, Macchio played himself in an episode of HBO’s Entourage.  He discussed how the bit on Entourage came to be:

“Every year I’ll get three or four sitcoms who want me to play myself, and if it’s not respectful of the legacy—I know, “legacy” is a big word, but I guess you could call it that when you look at The OutsidersKarate KidMy Cousin Vinny. I look at those movies, and I do put them on a certain level. They’re not just one-hit wonders of a time. They’re films that really do stand the test. My Cousin Vinny is an excellent comedy. The Outsiders was a classic novel, and I got to play one of the best parts in the movie. So I do protect that. But Entourage was the first time I ever poked fun like that. Because I knew Kevin [Dillon] through his brother, Matt, it just seemed like the concept of him and me, back in the day, being at the Mansion and tossing back shots of Cuervo, that was a good bit.” 

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Ralph Macchio – Beer League – 2006

In 2006, Macchio co-starred opposite Artie Lange in the slacker softball comedy, Beer League.

Lange starred as an over-weight schlub who encourages his softball team t0 improve so they won’t get kicked out of their league.  Macchio played his straight-laced sidekick.

Scott Baio auditioned for Macchio’s role in the film.  After Macchio was cast, Baio was considered for another role in the movie.  Ultimately, he was turned down because the producers thought it would be too much to have Chachi and Daniel-san in the same movie.

Obviously, the movie got bad reviews and flopped at the box office.  Did you watch the trailer?

In 2007, Macchio once again played himself on an episode of the Starz show, Head Case.  The gag here is that the shrink doesn’t realize that Macchio is an adult.

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Ralph Macchio – Ugly Betty – 2008-2009

From 2008-2009 Machhio appeared in a recurring role on the ABC show, Ugly Betty.

Macchio played a congressman.  He was originally supposed to appear on two episodes, but his part was stretched to 11 episodes.

“That was a nice arc, because that character was just supposed to be—literally, he was just going to be two episodes. And I ended up getting 11 episodes out of it. I credit Silvio Horta, who created that show, for being open to Hilda dating a good, upstanding congressman. [Laughs.] As opposed to all the bad boys she chased. Of course, she ends up with the bad boy in the end, because it’s a Latin soap opera, basically. But I got to stick around for a while, and Ana Ortiz is a terrific actress. It was really nice to play. The character got a little two-dimensional in the arc of the show, which was dealing with, like, 50 different characters. Plus, the show was not doing as well at that point, so they were trying to find a method for its survival. But the fact that I got 11 episodes out of something that was just supposed to be a two-episode arc was nice.” 

As Macchio indicated, the show was not doing so well in its fourth season.  The show was not renewed for a fifth season.

macchio - undead
Ralph Macchio – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead – 2009

In 2009, Macchio appeared in the indie comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead.

The movie starred Dustin Hoffman’s son, Jake Hoffman.  He played a director putting on a bizarre adaptation of Hamlet that involves vampires.  Over the course of directing the play, Hoffman discovers a conspiracy involving real life vampires and the origin of the play.  Macchio played a slimy businessman who begins dating Hoffman’s ex.

According to Macchio, “It was one of those movies that was made for a very small budget. It’s quirky, it only required a couple of days, and if you see a filmmaker that has something you think you can help out by loaning your name or your talent to it.”

In 2010, Macchio returned to TV with guest spots on shows like Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Psych and The Whole Truth.

Macchio also appeared in a popular Funny or Die video called Wax On, Fuck Off.

Macchio pitched the idea for the video as a way to keep himself busy while The Karate Kid remake was being released:

“I pitched that. I walked in and I was trying to sell another project, but wasn’t fortunate enough to find a network that was in love with it, so I was disappointed that I didn’t have a project at the time that the Karate Kid remake was coming out. I said, ‘I can’t just sit here and watch this movie come out. I have to be doing something!’ Because it was difficult for me. I carried that legacy for so long. It would be a weird time for me to be sitting at home watching that movie come out and not be busy. So I was able to figure out a way to make fun of myself on every level, skew the media, who are always, like, ‘If you’re not doing something bad, you’re not a story,’ and do every one-liner that I’ve had over the years on my own terms… And that includes the crane kick. Which I’ve only ever done once before, and that was on film.” 

The video generated a lot of hits.  The extra attention lead Macchio to accept an offer that would bring him even more exposure.

KARINA SMIRNOFF, RALPH MACCHIO
Ralph Macchio – Dancing With the Stars – 2011

In 2011, the former Karate Kid put it all on the line as a contestant in a different kind of tournament, ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.

According to Macchio:

“It was a great experience. I loved the performing of it, I loved the creating part of it. Karina Smirnoff and I have become very good friends, and she’s friends with my family. That’s probably the richest thing from it. It gives you an incredible platform to reconnect with America. I think if you represent yourself well and work hard, you have the opportunity to… The day after our first performance, I called it a big, fat hug from the country. I felt like I was running for president the next day, because we were at the top. And then the show takes over, and it becomes the TV show that it is, and you feel the political elements of it. It is what it is. You just put so much work into it that it’s tough sometimes to deal with the machine of it all.”

Macchio placed fourth which ain’t too shabby.  Guess all that singing and dancing in Bubble Yum commercials paid off.

macchio - happily divorced
Ralph Macchio – Happily Divorced – 2012

In 2012, Macchio was back to TV guest spots.  First he appeared in two episodes of Fran Dresher’s show, Happily Divorced on TV Land.

Macchio - Holiday Spin
Ralph Macchio – Holiday Spin – 2012

Macchio followed that up with an appearance in the dance-themed Lifetime movie, Holiday Spin.

macchio - hitchcock
Ralph Macchio – Hitchcock – 2012

Macchio capped off 2012 by playing the writer of Psycho in the biopic, Hithcock.

Anthony Hopkins played the legendary director and Helen Mirren played his wife, Alma.  Scarlett Johansson played actress Janet Leigh.  The movie was largely fiction even by Hollywood biopic standards.

For example, the movie makes a major plot point out of the idea that the Hitchcock’s mortgaged their house to get Psycho made.  The movie even shows them cutting back on groceries due to financial strain.  Never happened.  Not even remotely.  It also shows Alma directing parts of Psycho when Hitchcock falls ill.  Again, completely made up.  The scene in which Hitchcock frightens Leigh to get the reaction he wanted during the shower scene?  Made up.

Before Hitchock was released, Macchio gushed about the experience.

“The movie stars Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel… I mean, the cast is just insane, so I’m thrilled to be part of the company. I don’t have a gigantic role, and who knows when they cut it all together, how much will make it? You never know how much they’re gonna leave when they finish cutting it.”

After reading this quote, I felt the need to watch Hitchcock before writing this article.  Macchio had one scene with approximately three lines. I kept waiting for his character to come back, but he never did.

Reviews for Hitchcock were mixed.  The movie was not a hit.

macchio - hes way more famous than you
Ralph Macchio – He’s Way More Famous Than You – 2013

In 2013, Macchio played himself once again in the indie comedy, He’s Way More Famous Than You.

The movie was written by and starred Halley Feiffer aka “that girl from The Squid and the Whale.”  In the movie, Feiffer decides to write her own movie and recruit the biggest stars she can find to star in it.  The biggest star she can find is the original Karate Kid.

He’s Way More Famous Than You ran the festival circuit in 2013, but never got a wide release.

macchio - how I met your mother
Ralph Macchio – How I Met Your Mother – 2013

Macchio also guest-starred on an episode of How I Met Your Mother and lent his voice to the animated comedy, Robot Chicken.

So, what the hell happened?

Macchio made fun of himself for being too nice and normal for Hollywood.  I think there is something to that idea.  It’s not that a nice guy can’t be successful in Hollywood.  But to be an A-list movie star, certain sacrifices have to be made.  You don’t get to be Tom Cruise unless you put your career first in your life.  Macchio chose family over stardom.  Even at the peak of his career, Macchio took a lot of time off between movies.  As a result, audiences only got to know him as Daniel LaRusso.  And when that story was over, they weren’t all that interested in seeing Macchio do anything else.

Also, Macchio had a weird age thing.  Generally, being able to play younger than you actually are is a good thing for an actor.  But once Macchio could no longer pass as a teenager, it left him in an odd place.  As an adult, he wasn’t a traditional leading man.  A lot of child actors deal with this difficult transition.  But Macchio got to that point late in his life.  He was able to play teens through most of his twenties.  When he hit thirty, there just wasn’t anywhere for him to go.

While Macchio’s time as a movie star was fleeting, I think you have to give the guy credit for balancing his career with family.  Really, he’s doing what most of us do every day.  His job is just a little more glamorous than ours.

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Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago

Back in the 80’s I only owned several movies on VHS since they were so expensive back then, and Karate Kid was one of them. I lost count of how many times I watched that movie in my teens. I even liked parts 2 and 3. Just reading Macchio’s write-up and watching the trailer puts me in the mood to watch it again, it’ll always be one of the iconic films of the 80’s. Crossroads was surprisingly good, a shame it never found a larger audience. And of course My Cousin Vinny is a comedy classic. It’s interesting that even… Read more »

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago

His Funny Or Die video is absolutely hilarious! I didn’t even know of it’s existence until you posted it. I have to thank you for posting it, I had to watch it a couple times because it’s so funny. The line from his wife made me laugh: “Are you sure? But cuddling is your favorite part.” And of course, the line that made me laugh most was “BANZI, MOTHER F***ER!” Comedy gold.

Salvador
9 years ago

I don’t think he was “gushing” about the Hitchcock role, he seemed excited but really aware of the fact that his role would be completely cut out of the movie. He seems like a nice guy, and is fun that he and William Zabka are buddies now!

RB
RB
9 years ago

DANG, Lebeau, what a trip in the WAYBACK machine! I’d forgotten all about that Tiger Beat stuff! So funny – “none of these guys have last names” LOL!! The clip from the failed Baseball-beer whatever movie seemed like Macchio would have been the bright spot in a dull script which was evidently trying to be the next Bad News Bears. Once again this is a different sort of WTHH. This entry had a very interesting angle in that much of the subject’s own words about their career was featured. I enjoyed this aspect. You’ve often said that 80s movie stars… Read more »

Salvador
9 years ago

You can also see The Karate Kd as a movie about an outsider that comes to town to wreck havoc on Johnny Lawrence. That Johnny character even says at the very beginning that he will quit alcohol because he wants to get it together in his senior year and every time Daniel has his butt kicked, he deserved it. End of rant 🙂

jeffthewildman
9 years ago

I saw the original Karate Kid during its theatrical run with my mom and dad.
A few years ago when I heard a remake was on the way I was discussing it with my father. And he had an idea that I liked: that Ralph Macchio should return and be the one who trains Jaden.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Retrospective / Review – Karate Kid Part III (1989) in HD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJmpFcmI20Y

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Episode 153 – The Karate Kid, Part III: http://www.whmpodcast.com/2014/04/episode-153-karate-kid-part-iii.html In this week’s episode, the gang enters the Under 18 All-Valley tournament with Ralph Macchio and Thomas Ian Griffith in the ridiculous sequel, The Karate Kid, Part III! Why did the filmmakers insist on making all the stories play back-to-back? How is John Kreese not in prison for joking out kids in parking lots? And what is with that platonic relationship crap, LaRusso? PLUS: Terry Silver takes over the crown as Greatest WHM Villain! The Karate Kid, Part III, stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Robyn Lively, Martin Kove, Sean Kanan and… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
9 years ago

All you need to know about Ralph Macchio is that he is a few months older than Thomas Ian Griffith. But they play characters with maybe a 20 year age gap.
Yeah- Macchio was going to have some problems getting non-Karate Kid gigs!!
Contrary to some rumors- Macchio is NOT older than Pat Morita.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

I think that in Hollywood, it’s very difficult for men with boyish looking faces like Ralph Macchio to last very long in the industry. It’s very difficult to accept somebody like Ralph as a big man in authority if he still has a baby-face. I’m guessing (to keep within the confines of this blog), it also became problematic for the likes of Matthew Broderick and Tobey Maguire.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Sitcoms Online Message Boards – Forums > 1970s Sitcoms > Eight Is Enough > What the Hell Happened to Ralph Macchio?
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4896689&postcount=3
#3
Zoneboy
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Join Date: Jul 13, 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wawwie
I think Ralph Macchio is a nice guy. He’s one of the few actors who has not fallen victim to a life of scandal. So what’s the problem?
Leave the guy alone.
Agreed and this one of the most useless blogs I’ve ever read.

skewedreality
skewedreality
9 years ago

You’re ticking all my boxes Lebeau, Michael Biehn and Ralph Macchio! Keep up the good work!

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago

Why didn’t Macchio’s career take off more after Karate Kid? I would argue the point that immediately after the breakout success of Karate Kid in summer of ’84, Macchio didn’t make much of an attempt to capitalize on it. He did only one theatrical movie in the two years in between Karate Kid 1 & 2, then he only did one theatrical movie in the three years in between Karate Kid 2 & 3. Now, who knows if he was just turning down crap scripts or what, but that lack of productivity in the years between Karate Kid movies left… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

It should also be noted or taken into account that while “The Karate Kid” films were enormously popular, they were still modestly budgeted, and therefore arguably wasn’t proof enough that Ralph Macchio could carry a big Hollywood movie or blockbuster.

Mastro
Mastro
9 years ago
Reply to  Craig Hansen

Interesting. This was the era of the teen comedy/dramedy. He couldn’t have gotten a Can’t Buy Me Love? -type role?
Maybe he was blacklisted by John Hughes? He couldn’t get a Police Academy 7 gig?

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

Once argument that I heard about Ralph Macchio’s career is that while he’s not a shoddy actor, he is however a rare example of a grifter-like teen actor in it for the money who luckily turned out to have some shred of talent backing it up. Take for instance, his work in “The Outsiders”.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Craig Hansen

Original Karate Kid Ralph Macchio on roles before and after the crane kick
http://www.avclub.com/article/original-karate-kid-ralph-macchio-on-roles-before–82596

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Mother Brain Files Underrated Actors Special: One Hit Wonders: http://cosblog.cosmelentertainment.com/2013/12/23/the-mother-brain-files-underrated-actors-special-one-hit-wonders/ Ralph Macchio Macchio made an impact early on with his tragic portrayal of Johnny Cade in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders which introduced the world to the elite leading men of Hollywood for the 1980s. Then it was 1984’s The Karate Kid that made him a major teen idol and role model for kids around the world. As Daniel LaRusso, he captured that new kid in town blues mixed with the need for a father figure to fulfill a missing void in his life through Mr. Miyagi. The film… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Mother Brain Files Underrated Actors Special: Ralph Macchio: http://cosblog.cosmelentertainment.com/2011/03/16/the-mother-brain-files-underrated-actors-special-ralph-macchio/ In an industry that is driven by youth, many child and teen stars in Hollywood succeed because of their charm and their looks. But once they reach adulthood, that appeal wears off and only a rare few (i.e. Leonardo DiCaprio) evolve into bonafide movie stars. Yet, there are those like Ralph Macchio who struggle to be taken seriously because their boyish looks don’t change much. The star of the original Karate Kid films had to prove his worth as an actor outside the series while Hollywood tried to pigeonhole him… Read more »

Heather Skye
9 years ago

Playing Daniel LaRusso stigmatized him. I loved the Karate Kid I & II as a kid, but now I can’t get into them anymore. Age should not have had anything to do with it; he deserved to have a bigger career. I wish you would also do a blog on Mark Hamill.

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Honestly, it’d be worth seeing a Mark Hamill write-up just for your comments on Corvette Summer alone.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Heather Skye

Ralph also had the problem a lot of cute, boyish looking actors have… they can get away with playing teens or college age characters for a long time, but once they finally look too old for those roles, they’re too short or delicate or unmanly looking to play leading man parts.

peyton
peyton
9 years ago

Lebeau, do you think Ralph can make a comeback? I’m hopeful. He’s so good at portraying innocence and fragility. I thought he was heartbreaking in that listless comedy Naked in New York as the lonely, sexually confused friend. It would be great to see more of him.

peyton
peyton
9 years ago

Maybe he’ll got offered a TV show one of these days.

boomerX
boomerX
9 years ago

I love Ralph. It took him 25 years to finally look like a grown man. LOL. Even so, he’s what, 52 or something? He looks 35. He was a cutie then and he’s a hunk now.

Carlsoncarly
Carlsoncarly
9 years ago

Macchio was 23 during the first movie, even though he looker around 14. Zappa, who looked a lot older, was only 19, and Shue was 21. She looked like she could’ve been Macchio’s babysitter, even though he was two years older.

Leo
Leo
8 years ago

Macchio appears on WatchMojo’s Top 10 Forgotten Young Stars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdmMXt5mJ4k

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Leo

40 Stars Who Vanished Without a Trace From Hollywood
http://newravel.com/20-stars-who-vanished-without-a-trace-from-hollywood/28/
Ralph Macchio
Everybody knows Ralph Macchio as the butt-kicking Daniel LaRusso from 1984’s Karate Kid, and perhaps that’s why the actor has never really managed to capitalize on that film’s success. His most notable recent role, for example, was as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2011.

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