Macchio gets kick out of Spooky Empire
Coming this fall: “Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio as a crooked vice cop in 1970s New York. The project: “The Deuce,” an HBO drama series from David Simon (“The Wire”).
Macchio is in five of the eight episodes, he said, adding, “I wasn’t killed at the end of season one, so I might be back.”
This weekend Macchio, 55, will look to the past in another way: Talking about his career when he attends Spooky Empire on Friday and Saturday. The fan gathering runs through Sunday at the Orange County Convention Center. Details at spookyempire.com.
“Fan experience is a big part of how things are driven today with social media,” Macchio said. “It’s nice to keep the legacy alive of some these classic movies I was fortunate to be part of.”
Macchio and C. Thomas Howell will discuss “The Outsiders,” a 1983 gang drama that co-starred Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise.
“It was a novel way before it was a movie. It’s celebrating its 50th anniversary,” Macchio said of S.E. Hinton’s book. “I read that book when I was 12 years old. It was sort of Harry Potter for our generation. It jumpstarted 12-year-olds with passionate reading.”
Being part of the movie version directed by Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather”) “holds the most special place for me,” Macchio said. “It’s like a first love, a first girlfriend, a first kiss, the first big break.”
But he’s most often asked about playing the title role in 1984’s “The Karate Kid.”
“That one is tied to me forever, and I embrace that,” he said. “When I see 6year-old kids and 60-yearold grandparents feel the same way about one movie to this day, it’s a beautiful thing.”
He starred in two of the three sequels. Could there be another?
“As we live longer, we never say never more than ever,” Macchio said. “There is certainly room if someone or some team created the right way in.”
Macchio said he is amazed that “My Cousin Vinny,” a 1992 comedy, has become a learning tool for lawyers. “People yell out those quotes all the time,” he said. “At Spooky Empire, I’m sure I’ll be signing a few cans of tuna,” he added, citing the movie’s plot.
Macchio, who acted in ABC’s “Eight Is Enough” early in his career, said television has the best content these days because it’s tough to get on the big screen unless you’re a superhero or a Jedi warrior. Serialized storytelling such as Netflix’s “Stranger Things” raised the bar for creativity in television, he added.
“You go where the best work is, so it’s nice to have the world of television — it’s streaming, TV is a big computer,” he said.
Macchio said he was glad to compete on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2011 and make it to the top four with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff.
“For the most part, I think I came out really positive,” he said. “It does aim to put a positive light. It’s not trainwreck TV.”
Macchio said he was lucky to be part of films that resonate over time.
“Who knew when we were making ‘The Karate Kid’ you could say ‘wax on wax off’ in 2017 and most people know what you’re talking about?” he said.