While he may still have a baby face at the at of 59, Ralph Macchio has been around the block. In addition to his iconic role as Daniel LaRusso in three Karate Kid movies and the recent sequel show Cobra Kai, the actor’s four-decade career includes roles in unforgettable films such as The Outsiders and My Cousin Vinny. And through all of it, Ralph Macchio’s wife, Phyllis Fierro, has been by his side. Here’s an inside look at their enduring 34-year marriage.
Who Is Ralph Macchio’s Wife?
Born on July 23, 1960, Phyllis Fierro is not in the acting biz like her famous husband. But her job is every bit as essential; the 60-year-old beauty is a healthcare professional and nurse practitioner currently working on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. To say that Ralph Macchio is proud of his wife would be an understatement.
“She’s a nurse practitioner and doing a lot of work right now with dealing with everything we’re dealing with COVID,” Macchio explained in a recent interview on The Drew Barrymore Show. “She’s you know, one of the heroes of the family. That’s for sure… In her line of work, which is often dealing with the families of the patients that are — as well as the patients themselves, you know, it’s — that she bridges that gap of helping manage those very difficult decisions, you know. So it is, it’s hero work, you know, it really is.”
Phyllis Fierro And Ralph Macchio Are High School Sweethearts
Fierro and Macchio’s love story was clearly meant to be. The pair meet when they were just kids—and it was love at first sight! “We met a wee bit back ago,” he said on The Drew Barrymore Show. “We were teenagers, and we met at my grandmother’s house in her finished basement. It was my other cousin’s sweet 16 birthday party, and she came with a friend, and it was, you know, kind of infatuation and love at first sight. She has a great warmth about her.”
The couple dated through their high school years and early adult life, then decided to tie the knot in 1987. That was just three years after the release of the first Karate Kid movie, which made Ralph Macchio a household name.
The Crossroads actor credits Fierro with keeping him grounded from the very start and says that he can’t imagine life without her. “Without her and without the foundation and the family we established, ‘one foot in, one foot out’ would have been very, very difficult on my own,” Macchio told People. “Because there would not be balance.”
Phyllis Fierro And Ralph Macchio Have Two Children Together
Fierro and Macchio have two kids—28-year-old Julia and 25-year old Daniel. Both have followed in thier famous dad’s footsteps. A professional actress, dancer, and singer, Julia’s film credits include Stella’s Last Weekend and Girl Most Likely. She also starred in the national tour of Flashdance: The Musical in 2015 and 2016.
Daniel is a professional film score composer whose credits include From the Heart of the Crowd and The Wrecks. And if you were wondering, his name is no coincidence—Macchio says he named his son after his career-defining Karate Kid character. “There was a chunk of time when my son was like: ‘Did you have to?’ But now he’s proud of it,” the Entourage star told The Guardian in 2020. “Unlike Ralph, Daniel is a classic, it never goes out of style, you know?”
Phyllis Fierro And Ralph Macchio Have Been Married For 34 Years
So what’s the secret to Macchio and Fierro’s three-decade union? While all relationships take work, it appears as though the Karate Kid was lucky enough to find his true soul mate at a very early age.
“From the earliest days as teenagers, we’ve just believed that this was meant to be,” Macchio told Men’s Journal. “Even at the toughest times, that is what we believe: that we are meant to be together. I don’t think we are just saying that to get through—I think it’s the truth.”
The Cobra Kai star also says he’s taken many of the lessons he’s learned in life to heart—including the ones that came from his fictional mentor, Mr. Miyagi. “Those fortune cookie philosophies that Miyagi has are all rooted in the truth of finding balance,” he said. “I always strive for that— whether it’s balance in diet, balance in relationships, balance in work and play. Is Pat Morita’s voice in my ear? I wouldn’t say that. But those lessons and themes have definitely played a big part in my life.”