5 secrets from ‘The Karate Kid’ revealed in Ralph Macchio memoir
nypost.comWaxing On: The Karate Kid and Me.”The franchise, which included sequels in 1986 and 1989, is now enjoying an extended second act with the series “Cobra Kai” on Netflix, but Macchio wasn’t always on board with the original title about a teen who uses martial arts to confront his bullies.“And the title of the script they were sending me was: ‘The Karate Kid,’” writes Macchio, now 60. “What?
Seriously? Was this a cartoon? An after-school special? All I kept thinking was, What a silly, lame-ass title. It must be a placeholder.”It wasn’t — but his character’s original name in the movie, Danny Webber, was later changed, making the “ethically Italian” Macchio more comfortable and send “everything into high gear.” Here are five other secrets Macchio reveals in his memoir:Macchio bumped into actor Charlie Sheen as he left a casting session for the first film — and later learned the “Red Dawn” star had been a “candidate” for the role.
Robert Downey Jr. and C. Thomas Howell were also considered for the part, while Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood made an unsuccessful push for his son Kyle, Macchio writes.No one involved in the movie — including Macchio — initially wanted actor Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, to portray Daniel’s martial-arts mentor, Mr.
Miyagi. “All I could think of was the character Arnold from ‘Happy Days,’” Macchio writes of Morita’s restuarant-owner role on the TV hit. “He was the Japanese cook … who would do shticky gags and deliver sidekick-style jokes with a ‘Bah- hah- ha!’ tag each and everytime.
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