Ralph Macchio

Ralph George Macchio Jr. (; Italian: [ˈmakkjo]; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid , Eugene Martone in Crossroads, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. Additionally, he competed on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars. 2Early life Macchio was born in Huntington, New York. He is the son of Rosalie (née DeSantis) and Ralph Macchio, Sr., who owned a ranch. His father is of half Greek and half Italian descent, and his mother is of Italian ancestry. In a 1980 screen test, Macchio stated his family is from Naples. 2Career Macchio first appeared on American television commercials for products such as Bubble Yum and Dr Pepper. His on-screen debut was in the 1980 film Up the Academy, and his first major role was playing Jeremy Andretti in the television series Eight Is Enough. In 1983, he appeared as Johnny Cade in The Outsiders alongside many young actors who had yet to become major stars, such as C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, and Matt Dillo