Fact Check

Is the Actor Who Played the Karate Kid Over 60 Years Old Now?

Time to feel old.

Published Dec 17, 2023

 (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
Image Via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
Claim:
Ralph Macchio, the actor who played the role of Daniel LaRusso in “The Karate Kid” franchise of films, is now more than 60 years old.

A whole generation began to feel very old when a number of TikTok videos claimed that Ralph Macchio, the actor who played Daniel Larusso in “The Karate Kid” film franchise of the 1980s was more than 60 years old.

Many on TikTok expressed shock at what appeared to be Macchio’s ageless features.  

It is correct that Macchio is now 62 years old. According to his IMDb page he was born in November 1961.

He confirmed his age in a September 2022 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, where he was asked about how people around him reacted when they learned his real age. Macchio said people were “maybe a little surprised” and then admitted he was 60 years old.

The exchange can be heard at the 1:05 mark:

In November 2023, news broke about a new Karate Kid movie in the works with Macchio and Chinese star Jackie Chan, who had appeared in a 2010 reboot of the series. Chan and Macchio announced a global casting call to find the new teenage star of the film.

Sources

Pulver, Andrew. “New Karate Kid Movie with Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan in the Works.” The Guardian, 22 Nov. 2023. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/22/new-karate-kid-movie-ralph-macchio-jackie-chan-cobra-kai. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

“Ralph Macchio | Actor, Producer, Director.” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001494/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

"Ralph Macchio on Turning 60, Cobra Kai & Being Pitched Terrible Karate Kid Reboot Ideas." Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sept. 9, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUXiTxl_jos. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

The Karate Kid. Directed by John G. Avildsen, Columbia Pictures, Delphi II Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions, 1984. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.