Ralph Macchio

Ralph George Macchio was born on November 4, 1961 in Huntington, Long Island, New York. He started out in various TV commercials in the late 1970s before appearing in the puerile comedy movie _Up the Academy (1980)_ (qv), then a regular role in 1980 on the television series _Eight Is Enough (1977)_ (qv) followed by a decent performance as teenager Johhny Cade in the _The Outsiders (1983)_ (qv) based on the popular 'S.E. Hinton' (qv) novel about troubled youth.In 1984, Macchio scored the lead role in _The Karate Kid (1984)_ (qv) directed by _Rocky (1976)_ (qv) director 'John G. Avildsen' (qv). The film was a phenomenal success, being highly popular with adults and children alike. The movie spawned two equally popular sequels _The Karate Kid Part II (1986)_ (qv) and _The Karate Kid Part III (1989)_ (qv), both again starring Macchio and 'Pat Morita' (qv), and both directed by Avildsen.Macchio also starred in the blues road movie _Crossroads (1986)_ (qv), featured alongside 'Joe Pesci' (qv) in _My Cousin Vinny (1992)_ (qv) and, looking to toughen up his image, Macchio played a hit man in _A Good Night to Die (2003)_ (qv). Arguably, movie audiences still identify Macchio very strongly with his Karate Kid role, but as his features have gained a more weathered, adult edge, he has found opportunities and positive reviews from appearances in stage productions showcasing his acting talent. It would be great to see this versatile actor score some broader and more challenging film roles.::firehouse44@hotmail.com