Ralph Macchio is best known for his role as Daniel La Russo in the iconic film franchise, Karate Kid, as well as the sequel television series Cobra Kai. Given the film’s success, fans may expect that the actor had made a decent amount of money.
How Much Did Ralph Receive For 'Karate Kid'?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, both Ralph and William Zabka earned a reported $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, which works out to around $1 million per season per person. While their salary for the series is definitely amazing, not much information is available for the salary and backend points the actors earned for the original three Karate Kid movies.
Today, Ralph’s net worth is estimated to be $4 million. This is likely to be primarily for playing Daniel La Russo in the Karate Kid film franchise. He first appeared on screen in 1984 first installment of the Karate Kid, where he was a teenager taught karate to defend himself from bullies. The actor then went on to play the role twice more in The Karate Kid Part II and the Karate Kid Part III.
Over the years, he has starred in several films and television shows, including the hit series, Cobra Kai. Given all this success, it is no wonder why he has earned a whopping net worth of $4 million to date.
Why did Ralph star In 'Karate Kid'?
Ralph became a big name in the entertainment industry after starring in the Karate Kid films – especially when he executed the infamous crane kick. Because of the films’ success, the actor later returned to the franchise in Cobra Kai. Not only did he act, but he also came on as co-executive producer together with his comrade and co-star William Zabka. Their roles as executive producers allowed them to make sure the show emphasizes what they find important to the story.
Speaking about his reason for accepting the role, Ralph said, “The number one most important thing before I signed on to do the show was that the essence of Mr. Miyagi and his teachings, the relationship they had and how it formed and shaped his life was there.”
Why Ralph Didn’t Want To Star In Another 'Karate Kid' Movie?
Speaking to an interview about the possibility of going back and doing a new Karate Kid movie, Ralph admitted that it is not something they’re moving forward with. He explained, “To go back and try to do a traditional major motion picture sequel, movies have changed in the sense of what plays in the movie theaters and for how long. It’s usually big IPs like superhero movies that get that screen time and then there’s everything else. It’s hard.”
He further added that they prefer TV series than the film because it allows “the characters to breathe,” and it will run longer than the latter. He said, “With movies, you almost have to have plot, plot, plot, and ending but for us, in a serialized form, it doesn’t have to be that way. With this, we can do it every year or so, and hopefully, we can keep it going.”
When asked if he could imagine a career without the Karate Kid, Ralph said that it is a part of his legacy defined. He explained, “I think I’ll always be connected to that character in that film, and I’m proud of it…As you get older and wiser, it becomes something I embrace more. I think it is the most defining role of my career.”