Ralph Macchio is used to getting his “a** kicked”.
Ralph Macchio is used to getting his ‘a** kicked’
‘The Karate Kid’ star, 62, was propelled to global stardom thanks to his role in the 1980s fight film, and has reprised his role as martial arts fighter Daniel LaRusso for ‘Cobra Kai’ – Netflix’s hit spin-off series from the franchise.
As it gets set to return to the streamer for its sixth and final series, Ralph told The Sun: “Back in the Eighties almost every scene involved Daniel getting his a** kicked, so I’m used to it by now.
“I’m always willing to take the hit. But it hurts, especially at my age, and it’s a little harder to do now than it used to be. I try to get through it with a lot of stretching.”
The 1984 ‘Karate Kid’ hit and its two sequels told the story of Daniel and other US teens who used martial arts to stand up to bullies, with fans
inspired by the relationship between the teen and his fight mentor Mr Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita.
Ralph added about its legacy: “The movie is so often thought of as pop culture – crane kicks, waxing on – but it also has all these other deeper elements to it.”
‘Cobra Kai’ sees Daniel and his old enemy Johnny Lawrence as karate mentors teaching the art to a new generation of young students.
Its upcoming series, out on 18 July, sees Daniel unearthing disturbing details about his long-dead teacher Mr Miyagi.
Ralph added: “These clues to a past that don't line up with the perfect mentor now add double meaning for Daniel.
“The deeper he digs, the more he goes on a downward spiral.
“Now he’s got to carry the burden of upholding that legacy. It’s a great story and it takes Daniel down this path that he has to come back from.”