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The Karate Kid was not only one of the biggest hits of 1984, but decades later it inspired the series Cobra Kai. No one can predict these sorts of phenomena. If they could, everyone would do it. But, star Ralph Macchio remembers his reservations about the title The Karate Kid when he auditioned for the role. 

'Karate Kid': Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio stand in the dojo together
L-R: Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio | Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

Macchio was a guest on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast on Oct. 17 to discuss his new memoir, Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me. He admits he thought The Karate Kid sounded like “an afterschool special,” but he did it anyway and the rest is history. 

Ralph Macchio wasn’t the only one who hated ‘The Karate Kid’ title 

Macchio wasn’t alone in his reservations about The Karate Kid. Martin Kove has also discussed his disdain for the title. Macchio published his in Waxing On.

“Basically, okay, they’re sending me the script called The Karate Kid,” Macchio said on WTF. “I was like, ‘Seriously? Is this an afterschool special?’”

Macchio was 21 at the time. He remembers Karate Kid producer Jerry Weintraub sort of agreeing with him. 

“I joke about it in the book where I say, ‘God, this is such a bad title that if the thing ever works I’ll probably have to carry it the rest of my life,’” Macchio said. “Jerry Weintraub, the producer would say to me all the time when I’d complain about the title, he goes, ‘It’s a terrible title which makes it a great title.’” 

Ralph Macchio got protective of ‘The Karate Kid’

Macchio remembers the big Karate Kid casting call. He said he even saw Jon Cryer in the waiting room. But, when his competition also made fun of the title, Macchio would not commiserate. 

A lot of people were making fun of the title. I write about this, having the script that weekend, preparing for the audition to still audition for the guy who directed Rocky. I’m going to a major league ballpark but I remember being kind of offended that people were making fun of the title when I made fun of the title. I write it’s like I can make fun of my brother but you can’t. That was starting to happen right away. I wonder if that’s some kind of subliminal I’m taking control of it. I might be adding more to it, making myself sound smarter.

Ralph Macchio, WTF podcast, 10/17/22

You can still watch his audition 

Avildsen posted Macchio’s original audition on YouTube. So everyone could see how he was a natural for the part of The Karate Kid, whether he liked the name or not. 

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‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5: Ralph Macchio Reacts to Chozen Calling Him ‘Danielsan’

“My audition you can see on YouTube,” Macchio said. “He posted it and he intercuts it with the first time Pat Morita read and it’s really interesting, and I write about this. Then you can have the visual to click on and see the first time I spoke Daniel Larusso’s words. Interestingly, it kind of felt like the movie is. It’s not like that’s where I started. It was natural, organic. I put a little east coast bravado into him, a little feistiness. John was just holding a big ass JVC camera, reading with me. He had the camera all the time. You go out to lunch with him he’d be shooting stuff.”

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