Ralph Macchio's Accent Cost Him the Role of Back to the Future's Marty McFly. The Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio reveals his New York accent prevented him from being cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future.

Where is Ralph Macchio's accent from?

Macchio recalled his Back to the Future audition. "They were like, 'Can you lose the New York accent? This is more apple pie and all-American,'" the Long Island actor told Yahoo of his audition. "The irony is that the role was played by a Canadian!" That Canadian in question was Michael J.

How many languages can Ralph Macchio speak?

How many languages does Ralph Macchio speak? English and New York. That's all I got. That's enough of that.

What happened to Ralph Macchio's voice?

Ralph's voice is just way different today. He was in his 20's back then when making the Karate Kid movies, so you'd think he would still sound like that today. In the 80's he had more of a Jersey accent too, but his voice just sounded different than it does today overall. It's softer now that it was back then.

Is Ralph Macchio's accent real?

The actor grew up in New York and had previously played Daniel LaRusso, a New Jersey native, in 1984's The Karate Kid. Macchio has a prominent Long Island accent that prevented him from playing McFly, a resident of Hill Valley, California.

Cobra Kai's Ralph Macchio Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED

What ethnicity was Ralph Macchio?

Ralph has a younger brother named Steven. His father is of half Italian and half Greek descent, and his mother is of Italian ancestry. In a 1980 screen test, Macchio said his family was from Naples. In 1979, Macchio graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills, New York.

Can Ralph Macchio fight in real life?

Does Ralph Macchio, the actor from The Karate Kid, actually have any karate training in real life? Not by a long shot; though it should be noted that neither were cast to be great martial artists, and instead were hired to be amazing actors.

Did Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio get along?

Though the duo have only spoken highly of each other in the press, their friendship didn't kindle until years later — 2005, to be exact — when they reunited for the first time ever at Pat Morita (a.k.a. Mr. Miyagi)'s, funeral. “He caught my eye,” Ralph said in his memoir about the meeting.

Is Ralph Macchio left-handed or right-handed?

A: Is Ralph Macchio left-handed? No. In the movie being right hand dominate Daniel is trained to block with both hands fairly ...

At what age did Ralph Macchio get married?

"I was 15 ... and we met at my cousin's Sweet Sixteen ... and we met and hit it off, and we're still in love, and it's awesome," Macchio said during an episode of Live! With Kelly and Ryan in 2019. The two married 12 years later on April 5, 1987.

How much did Ralph Macchio make for Karate Kid 1?

Not much information is available for the salaries and backend points he earned for his original three The Karate Kid movies. It's likely that he made upwards of $200,000 at the most for the first, which was a good salary. He had already been in a bunch of TV shows and some movies, so $200,000 could have been offered.

What is up with Ralph Macchio's hair?

Ralph Macchio and His Hair Changes

In Macchio's late 20s and early 30s, he started to conceal his thinning hair by combing it over to cover the thinning portions. This is a method used by a lot of men around that age, since few of them are ready to take the plunge and invest in a hairpiece.

What actor has a New York accent?

Born and raised in Manhattan, Robert De Niro's natural accent aligns with the diverse linguistic tapestry of New York City. His ability to seamlessly transition into the specific accents of different boroughs speaks to his dedication to authenticity in his craft.

Was Ralph Macchio Italian?

Macchio was born on November 4, 1961. His birthplace is Huntington, New York, and he was born to Rosalie De Santis and Ralph George Macchio. Macchio is of Italian and Greek descent. He is also a Scorpio and graduated from Half Hollow Hills Central School District, New York.

Did Ralph Macchio go to Pat's funeral?

During Pat Morita's (his former The Karate Kid (1984) co-star) funeral procession, Macchio gave a brief eulogy and ended it as quoted, "Forever, my Sensei" to the mourners.

Did Ralph Macchio and William Zabka get along?

However, fans everywhere shrieked when Macchio admitted that then- and now-castmate Zabka never got along. The duo played foes—Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Zabka as Johnny Lawrence—in the original 1984 film The Karate Kid.

Does Ralph Macchio even know karate?

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

In other words, while he never entered karate's formal belt system, he's its greatest living ambassador (our declaration, not his). “In the second film, in 'Karate Kid: Part II,' I had more time to train, so I got better at it,” he said. “In the first one, I had a couple of weeks.”

Why did Ralph Macchio stop making Karate Kid movies?

Despite his youthful appearance, Macchio was in his early thirties when shooting The Karate Kid Part III, and so was deemed too old to continue in the role for further movies.

Does Johnny Lawrence really know karate?

Zabka played Johnny Lawrence, the main antagonist to the title character and protagonist played by Ralph Macchio. Zabka had no training in karate at the time but was an accomplished wrestler. Participating in the film inspired Zabka to learn the martial art of Tang Soo Do and he later earned a second–degree green belt.

Was Ralph Macchio a dancer?

But I had been dancing since the age of three, taking lessons at the June Claire School of Dance in Babylon, Long Island." He attributes some of his deft and fluid moves in movies as the Karate Kid to his early training as a dancer. But Macchio's glad finally to use his talents in a bonafide musical hit.

How old was Ralph Macchio in Outsiders?

How old was Ralph Macchio when he played Johnny in the movie? Johnny Cade was sixteen years old in the novel, though he was quite small and therefore believed to be younger. Ralph Macchio, however, was 22 years old at the time of filming.

How old was Ralph Macchio in My Cousin Vinny?

(He was 22 at the time.) When he appeared as a college student in the Oscar-winning 1992 film My Cousin Vinny, he was already married and expecting his first child. And as he reprises his Karate Kid role in Cobra Kai, he has no trouble sliding back into the athletic gig.