What Is ‘Cobra Kai’ Star Ralph Macchio’s Net Worth?
In the late ‘80s, Ralph Macchio was one of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood. And these days, he’s back in the spotlight for reprising his iconic role as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid spinoff series, Cobra Kai. Here’s a look back at Macchio’s 40-year career and his estimated net worth.
Ralph Macchio started his career in TV
At the age of 19, Macchio landed his first TV acting role in the ABC comedy-drama, Eight Is Enough. A few years later, he portrayed S.E. Hinton’s character, Johnny Cade, in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of The Outsiders.
Macchio landed his The Karate Kid role based on his performance in The Outsiders. He beat out actors like Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey Jr., and Nicolas Cage, all of whom auditioned for the part of Daniel.
After appearing in the first three Karate Kid movies, Macchio starred in the Academy Award-winning blockbuster, My Cousin Vinny, opposite Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. From 2008 to 2009, he had a recurring role on the ABC comedy, Ugly Betty.
The actor was also featured on episodes of Entourage and How I Met Your Mother. And in 2017, he landed his role as Officer Haddix in the HBO series, The Deuce.
He reprised his ‘Karate Kid’ character for ‘Cobra Kai’
Macchio and his The Karate Kid co-star William Zabka reprised their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence for Cobra Kai. The series catches up with the martial artists and dives back into their decades-old rivalry.
“Daniel’s a different human being,” Macchio told Rolling Stone when talking about his Cobra Kai character. “He’s 35 years older. It’s the same universe, but a different world. The tone is a little bit different even though there’s the goosebumps and all that stuff that The Karate Kid had.”
The actor acknowledged that some might criticize him for falling back into the franchise. But he noted that he’s currently taking on other projects that don’t typecast him.
“Certainly there are some people that will probably say, ‘Oh, he’s playing that role again,’” added Macchio. “And that’s fine. I try to balance it with shows like The Deuce and whatever else is in the on-deck circle now.”
What is Ralph Macchio’s net worth today?
Macchio has been in showbusiness for nearly four decades. And while his successes in between The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai aren’t as notable, the actor has acquired a substantial net worth.
As of this writing, Macchio’s net worth is estimated at $4 million, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth. For the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, he reportedly earned $100,000 per episode, totaling nearly $1 million per season. The series is now on Netflix, so Macchio’s net worth may grow more significantly this year.
