Ralph Macchio began his journey in the Karate boy The franchise starred underdog teen Daniel LaRusso, but both the character and the actor have come a long way since then. The original film was released in 1984, and at the time, no one knew what it would become. The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III were released in the following years and then, decades later, the spin-off series Cobra Kai brought this franchise back into the spotlight. This means The Karate Kid has been an important part of Macchio’s life, and he has celebrated many birthdays on the sets of Netflix movies and series.
As a character, Daniel is the perfect underdog. Young and a bit reckless, his heart of gold always ends up leading the way (with a little help from Mr. Miyagi). He proved himself to be a true hero and inspiration time and time again in the Karate boy films, with its initial story concluding with The Karate Kid Part III in 1989. Macchio then returned to play Daniel-san 32 years later in the Cobra Kai series, whose first season aired in 2018. This time, Daniel took a backseat to his old nemesis, Johnny Lawrence. Still, Macchio The Karate Kid The character was very similar to what he had always been, just a little older.
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Ralph Macchio was 22 years old in Karate Kid
The film that started the franchise was released in 1984.
Macchio’s character was 17 years old at the beginning of The Karate Kidwhich is set in 1984. In the film, he and Mr. Miyagi celebrated his 18th birthday shortly before the All Valley Tournement in December 1984 (where Daniel had his first real fight with Johnny Lawrence). It was then that Mr. Miyagi allowed Daniel to choose one of his classic cars as a birthday present. In contrast, Macchio was born in November 1961 and was 22 years old when filming for this first film began. The Karate Kid Movie. The actor had no problem being believable as a teenager, even though he was technically a Karate Adult when he took on the role in 1983.
Ralph Macchio was 24 years old in Karate Kid Part II
The first Karate Kid sequel came in 1986
The Karate Kid Part II It took place in the summer following Daniel’s battle with Johnny Lawrence at the All-Valley Tournament, so Daniel and Mr. Miyagi’s trip to Japan occurred in 1985. Thus, the character is still 18 years old during his breakup with Ally, as well as his big battle with Chozen. In truth, filming for the sequel began in September 1985, and The Karate Kid Part II It was released in theaters in June 1986. Although it had only been a few months since Daniel appeared in the plot, Macchio had aged two years since he last played the character. The actor would have celebrated his 24th birthday while filming was still underway.
Ralph Macchio was 27 years old in Karate Kid Part III
The original Karate Kid trilogy concluded in 1989.
The Karate Kid Part III The character was reprised sometime between Daniel and Miyagi’s summer of 1985 in Japan and the 1985 All-Valley Tournament in December. So, once again, the character is only supposed to be a few months older than when we last saw him. Much more time had passed in the real world, and filming for the 1989 film began in December of 1988. This means that Macchio had just celebrated his 27th birthday when he returned once again to play the 19-year-old character, the largest age gap between actor and character to date. Cobra Kai Season 5.
Ralph Macchio was 56 years old in season 1 of Cobra Kai
Macchio took a 32-year break from playing the protagonist of the Karate Kid franchise
Cobra Kai Season 1 is set in 2017, so Daniel is assumed to be 52 years old (the same age Mr. Miyagi was in The Karate Kid). A lot has happened to the character since he was last seen in The Karate Kid Part IIIThe series revealed that Daniel got married, had two children, opened a car dealership, and unfortunately said goodbye to Mr. Miyagi (in 2011, the same year that actor Pat Morita passed away). Macchio and Daniel’s ages are a bit closer this season, as the actor was 56 during filming in 2017.
Ralph Macchio was 57 years old in the second season of Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai season 2 was the last installment produced by YouTube
Filming began for Cobra Kai Season 2 begins in late 2018 and the plot starts in the summer of 2018 when Daniel opens Miyagi-Do Karate with Samantha and Robby as his only students. It’s only been a few months until the end of Season 2, with the big school fight in Cobra Kai which takes place on the first day of the 2018 school year. So while Daniel is no older compared to last season, Macchio celebrated his 57th birthday during filming.
Ralph Macchio was 58 years old in season 3 of Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai season 3 was the first series of episodes of the spin-off produced by Netflix.
The plot of Cobra Kai Season 3 lasted only a few months, with the premiere picking up where Season 2 had left off. Daniel and Johnny teamed up to find Robby after he ran away from the school fight, and the two senseis dealt with the repercussions of the massive battle at the school. Daniel made his trip to Japan in the fall of 2018, and Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang joined forces sometime around December. In the real world, filming for Cobra Kai Season 3 had begun in the fall of 2019, so Macchio was about to turn 58.
Ralph Macchio was 59 years old in season 4 of Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai season 4 debuted in late 2021
Cobra Kai Season 4 again picked up where the previous season left off. Although Daniel and Johnny had attempted to combine their two dojos, it didn’t last long because they couldn’t agree on which style of karate would take the lead. Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do go their separate ways, and sometime around spring 2019, the All-Valley Tournament announces the plan to create separate leagues for boys and girls. Daniel would have turned 53 in December 2018, but since he began filming for Cobra Kai Season 4 began in January 2021, Macchio would have been 59 years old while filming scenes.
Ralph Macchio was 60 years old in the fifth season of Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai’s fifth season is the penultimate installment of the Karate Kid spin-off
Cobra Kai Season 5 is another installment of the series that only covered a couple of months within the plot. Things picked up in the spring of 2019, right after Hawk’s victory at the All-Valley Tournament and Daniel’s decision to pursue Miyagi-Do karate. Johnny and Robby head to Mexico to find Miguel (who miraculously made a full recovery from his back injury that occurred just a year earlier). By the time Daniel faced Terry Silver at the end of Cobra Kai Season 5, it’s early summer 2019, so the character is still 53 years old. In real time, filming had wrapped in December 2021, with The Karate Kid‘s Macchio had turned 60 a couple of months earlier.
Ralph Macchio was 62 in Cobra Kai season 6
Cobra Kai’s final season consists of two batches of episodes
Filming has ended Cobra KaiThe franchise’s final season in June 2024. Macchio, who returned once again as Daniel LaRusso, had just turned 62 in late 2023. At this point in the Karate boy/Cobra Kai chronology, Daniel LaRusso is older than Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi at the time of the franchise’s inception in 1984. Despite the fact Cobra Kai Season 6 consists of two batches of episodes. Macchio’s birthday did not coincide with the production of either half of the final season, so his age did not change.
Ralph Macchio was also 62 in the 2025 Karate Kid movie
The upcoming legacy sequel brings Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han from the 2010 Karate Kid remake into the main canon.
Although there will be no more episodes of Cobra Kai produced, that doesn’t mean the franchise’s revival is over. The new Karate boy The film was originally scheduled for a late 2024 release, but the SAG-AFTRA strikes meant the upcoming legacy sequel had to be pushed back to a May 30, 2025 release date. It was filmed around the same time as Cobra Kai Season 6, so Macchio was 62. Had it not been for the strikes and the resulting rescheduling, it’s possible Macchio would have been 61 when he filmed the new Karate boy movie.
The Karate Kid 
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Released in 1984, The Karate Kid follows the story of Daniel LaRusso on his unexpected journey to become a Karate expert under the tutelage of a martial arts master. Recently moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles, Daniel and his mother are trying to adjust to their new home. Unfortunately, Daniel becomes the target of a gang of students from the Cobra Kai dojo. When his assistant, Mr. Miyagi, saves him with his expert Karate skills, Daniel convinces him to teach him his Karate to defend himself and put his bullies in their place.
Director John G. Avildsen Release date June 22, 1984 Studio(s) Delphi II Productions Distributor(s) Columbia Pictures Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen Cast Ralph Macchio , Pat Morita , Elisabeth Shue , William Zabka , Martin Kove , Yuji Okumoto Running time 126 minutes Franchise(s) The Karate Kid Sequel(s) The Karate Kid Part II , The Karate Kid Part III Budget $8 million Expand