Daniel Larusso was my hero.  A dorky kid takes matters into his own hands and battles the school bullies.  In the end, he earns their respect, wins the competition and gets the girl.  Not bad for scrawny kid from Jersey. 

It wasn’t until I saw My Cousin Vinny that I realized it was the same guy from The Karate Kid.  Ralph Macchio.  It was weird seeing him after all those years and after all of those horrible Karate Kid sequels.  Well, come to think of it… I sort of liked Karate Kid Part 2 simply because of the cheese factor.  In any case, I was sort of heartbroken to see Macchio again.

Here was a kid who at one point in time (circa 1984) was regarded as one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood.  I don’t think that was a mistake on anyone’s part.  It’s hard to envision The Karate Kid without Macchio because not just any actor could have pulled off the part.  We had to be convinced that he was a fully developed character, so when he finally turned into a Cobra Kai killer, we would believe it as well.  And we did.  It also didn't hurt that the film was the tried, tested and true method of storytelling that revolves around the underdog.  Everyone loves an underdog story.  Everyone.

As much as Daniel Larusso was my hero when I was a youngling, Johnny Cade from The Outsiders was the epitome of cool.  Yes, more often than not his big mouth would get him into trouble with the rival gang, but the kid was a bulldog and would never back down from a fight.  The fact that I remember Macchio most from The Outsiders says a lot about his abilities as an actor.  I mean, look at the cast; unknowns at the time, who are now big Hollywood players.  There are only two actors from the film who have failed to rekindle the magic from their earlier years for some bizarre reason.  Macchio is one of them. 

He’s an actor who has seemingly eternal young looks, which in an industry and profession so obsessed with image, seems like a perfect match.  Even though his range is limited, he’s strong enough of an actor to truly impress.  He’s known for playing underdogs.  Even in My Cousin Vinny he was the underdog, requiring the services of his cousin to deal with a particularly sticky legal battle. 

Perhaps the reason why Macchio can’t burst through the walls of mainstream cinema is because the roles of Daniel Larusso and Johnny Cade were just as harmful to his career as they were beneficial.  He would forever be typecast as the Master of the Crane or as a smart ass greaser, which I’m sure made it difficult for producers to see him in any other role. 

But at the same time, and maybe I’m completely wrong here, Macchio should’ve demanded more mature roles as he got older.  I’m sure the payday for the Karate Kid films were hefty for him (he really needed some convincing in order to return for Karate Kid Part 3), which probably clouded his decision to think of the long term development of his career.

Also, how ironic would it be to discover that his boyish looks are what truly prevented him from becoming an actor on the same level as his Outsiders costars?  As I’ve said time and time again, Hollywood is a weird place.  Certain decisions are made for no particular reason, while careers can be destroyed just as quickly as they are made.  Ralph Macchio is an actor stuck in limbo, so no matter how hard he tries, no matter what job he tackles (actor, writer, director or producer) he will always be Johnny Cade or Daniel Larusso.  Not just to me, but to millions around the world.  I don’t know about you, but I find that incredibly bittersweet.