EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of next month’s release of Karate Kid: Legends, actor, filmmaker and New York Times bestselling author Ralph Macchio has signed with Gersh for representation in all areas.
Macchio is of course best known for his leading role of Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid franchise, which he’s now played in four feature films and one hit TV series. LaRusso is first introduced in 1984 classic The Karate Kid, as a bullied teenager new to California who’s taken under the wing of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), a handyman who teaches him karate as a means of self-defense and a way of life. Macchio reprised the part across another two films spanning the rest of the 1980s, amd then put it aside until 2018, when he came on to lead Cobra Kai, a series from Sony Pictures Television that began its life on YouTube before finding critical acclaim and a large following on Netflix, garnering nominations at the Emmys, the SAG Awards, and elsewhere.
Macchio was also an executive producer on Cobra Kai, a sequel series to the Karate Kid films, running six seasons, which picks up decades later to chronicle a reignited rivalry between LaRusso and former karate competitor Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Slated for release via Sony on May 30, new film Karate Kid: Legends sees LaRusso mentoring a young kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang), transplanted from Beijing to New York, alongside Mr. Han (Jackie Chan).
Macchio is also known for his roles in the classic films The Outsiders, Crossroads, and My Cousin Vinny. Other notable credits include ABC’s Ugly Betty, The Deuce, Hitchcock, and Lost Cat Corona. Macchio has also appeared in numerous stage productions, making both his Broadway and off-Broadway debuts in an acclaimed production of Cuba and His Teddy Bear.
In 2022, Macchio released the memoir Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, which became an instant New York Times bestseller. He continues to be represented by Untitled Entertainment, Jill Fritzo PR, and Don Steele at Hansen Jacobson.
