In 1984, Ralph Macchio starred in The Karate Kid which went on to become one of the biggest cult hits in Hollywood. Following his appearance in the 2nd and 3rd films, Macchio attained superstardom for his role as the the vulnerable and bullied teenager who learns to defend himself through martial arts. While the trilogy cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s future superstars, Macchio’s career unfortunately did not take off as expected.
The celebrity who was expected to appear in many promising projects using The Karate Kid as a stepping stone, disappeared into oblivion after a few appearances in prominent films. One of the films that Macchio did not do, owing to contractual obligations with The Karate Kid, turned out to be a big miss for the actor.
Ralph Macchio Missed Out On A Key Film Owing To His Commitment To The Karate Kid
For a significant part of the 80s, Hollywood star Ralph Macchio was a household name thanks to the cult blockbuster trilogy The Karate Kid. Macchio, who played a young teenager who learns martial arts as a defense mechanism from bullies, was one of the most popular young stars touted to become an industry A-lister. The actor though, went under the radar for many years while also missing out on some prominent projects owing to his contract commitments to The Karate Kid.
Macchio was cast by Sidney Lumet in 1988’s Running on Empty but unfortunately couldn’t take part in the critically acclaimed drama because of his contractual obligation to The Karate Kid franchise and its future sequels. Another dashing young star of the time, River Phoenix, was eventually cast for the movie for which he earned an Oscar nomination as well. Macchio meanwhile, appeared in later years in the cult comedy My Cousin Vinny but faded into the background afterwards.
The Karate Kid Was A Double Edged Sword For Ralph Macchio
1984’s The Karate Kid and its sequels made Ralph Macchio one of Hollywood’s most sought after young stars of the generation. The franchise gave the actor cult status and made him an instantly recognizable face everywhere he went. Unfortunately, the films that gave him the foothold to superstardom, also resulted in the working against him. Macchio who was never able to make his career take off in Hollywood post The Karate Kid, was seen as a one film wonder, with no other achievement to his name. As a result, he had to face some below-the-belt comments such as,
“Hey Ralph, didn’t I see you waxing on and waxing off at a car wash? You guys might know Macchio from The Karate Kid trilogy. And if you don’t know him from those movies, then you don’t know him at all…”
Macchio, though, learnt to take all the criticisms in his stride and ever indulged in a bit of self-depreciation. The actor, who resurrected his career recently, channelled all his emotions in a positive way through an autobiography titled Waxing On that tells the story of his fast rise in the 1980s, his lean spell from the 1990s onwards before getting his career back on track.
Source: The Guardian
