Boasting a net worth of $8 million, Ralph Macchio is an esteemed American television and film actor. He is best remembered for his prominent role as Daniel La Russo in both the blockbuster “Karate Kid” franchise and the follow-up series, “Cobra Kai”. Ralph Macchio Age Net Worth.
Net Worth: $8 Million
Date of Birth: Nov 4, 1961 (61 years old)
Place of Birth: Huntington
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m)
Profession: Actor, Television producer
Nationality: United States of America
Early Life
On November 4th, 1961, Ralph George Macchio Jr. was brought into this world in Huntington, New York, born to the parents of Rosalie (née DeSantis) and Ralph Macchio, Sr. who owned a ranch.
His family tree contains a blend of Italian and Greek ancestry. Macchio started dancing at an early age, taking his first lessons at the age of three.
Career
When Ralph Macchio was sixteen years old, he was discovered and subsequently cast in the television show “Eight Is Enough” (1980-1981) as the recurring character Jeremy Andretti.
He debuted in the comedic film “Up the Academy” (1980) and then landed a role in the acclaimed film “The Outsiders” (1983). The success of his performance in the latter propelled him to fame, with his most well-known role as Daniel LaRusso in the movie “Karate Kid” (1984).
The hit movie achieved immense success and was followed by two sequels: “The Karate Kid Part II” (1986) and “The Karate Kid Part III” (1989).
Ralph Macchio has acted in a wide range of films over the years. In 1986, he portrayed music student Eugene Martone in “Crossroads”, and the following year he featured in the drama “Distant Thunder”, playing the son of John Lithgow’s character.
Macchio was part of the comedy “Too Much Sun” in 1990, which was directed by Robert Downey Sr. and starred Robert Downey Jr. He featured alongside Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in the 1992 romantic comedy “My Cousin Vinny”.
The following year, he appeared in the comedy-drama “Naked in New York”. 1999 saw him feature in the thriller “A Good Night to Die” along with the likes of Michael Rapaport, Gary Stretch, and Ally Sheedy. His most recent appearances include “Hitchcock” (2012), “A Little Game” (2014), and “Psych: The Movie” (2017).
Ralph Macchio, a renowned actor, has made several guest appearances on popular television shows, including Entourage (2005) and Ugly Betty (2008), where he played Archie Rodriguez.
He even appeared on the series How I Met Your Mother (2013) as himself, and was joined by William Zabka for the episode “The Bro Mitzvah”. Moreover, Macchio was also part of season 12 of the hit reality competition show Dancing with the Stars, in 2011.
With professional dancer Karina Smirnoff by his side, Macchio made it to the semi-finals before getting eliminated and securing a fourth-place spot.
Apart from his renowned movie appearances, Macchio has achieved great success on stage as well. In 1986, he shared the stage with Robert DeNiro in a production of the play “Cuba and His Teddy Bear”.
In 1996, he took the lead role as J. Pierrepont Finch in the U.S. revival tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”.
Then, in 2010, he played the adult Carl Morelli in the Bleecker Street Theater Company’s staged reading of the play “A Room of My Own” by Charles Messina. Finally, he starred in an Off-Broadway production of the same play in 2016 alongside Mario Cantone.
Cobra Kai
In 2018, Ralph Macchio was back in the “dojo” with the YouTube-produced reboot of Karate Kid, aptly called “Cobra Kai”. April 2019 saw the debut of the series’ second season.
For the initial two seasons, both Macchio and William Zabka (as Johnny) reportedly earned an impressive $100,000 per episode, bringing their respective annual totals to roughly $1 million. As co-executive producers on the show, they have earned the right to reap these rewards.
Will Smith’s Overbrook Productions has granted the rights to create a web series to Jerry Weintraub’s Weintraub Entertainment Group. This project marks Ralph Macchio’s debut in the world of web series, though he has had extensive past experience in television.
May 2018 saw the debut of the series to a positive critical reception; however, it did not experience the same success with viewers, given the limited access to YouTube Red.
Eventually, in August 2020, Netflix released the show, opening up a wider viewing audience, which quickly rocketed it to becoming one of the streaming platform’s most-watched series. With plans to produce at least four more seasons, this success is set to continue.
Personal Life
At the time of the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio had already met his wife Phyllis Fierro, a nurse practitioner. His grandmother had introduced them when he was 15, and they were married four years later. Now they are proud parents to two children, and Ralph even owns the yellow Ford he famously waxed on screen.
Real Estate
For years, Ralph and Phyllis have owned a spectacular home in Montauk, NY, with a beautiful ocean view. When not using it for themselves, the house can be leased for up to $40,000 monthly. Its estimated worth lies between $4 and 6 million.