Ralph Macchio's 2 Kids: All About Julia and Daniel

Ralph Macchio is a karate dad … and proud too!

The actor, who shares children Julia and Daniel with wife Phyllis Fierro, to whom he has been married for nearly four decades, calls raising their family his “greatest achievement.”

Macchio and Fierro grew up in neighboring towns on Long Island and fell in love at first sight. The The Karate Kid star met his future wife when he was just 15 years old, long before he became a household name, at a relative’s birthday party in his grandmother’s basement. Sparks flew, and Macchio later said he “just knew” she was the one for him.

The couple married in August 1987 and had a daughter Julia in 1992 and a son Daniel – whom Macchio named after his The Karate Kid character — in 1995.

Julia followed in Macchio’s footsteps as an actress, even appearing alongside her father in seasons 4 and 5 Cobra Kai.

Although the father of two’s children are all grown, he told PEOPLE in 2021 that he’s still “constantly learning” about parenting. Everything I do now, more often than 10, 15 years ago, I think about it because of my children who are getting older, he said. “They are adults, but they are always your children.”

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Here’s everything you need to know about Ralph Macchio’s children, Julia and Daniel.

Julia, 31

Julia Macchio Instagram

Macchio and Fierro had their first child, daughter Julia, on May 20, 1992. Speaking to Popternative in 2022, Julia revealed that she started singing and dancing at the age of 5, so it didn’t take long for her to start dreaming of following in her footsteps her father in the world of acting.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” she told PEOPLE. “I don’t think there was ever a moment where I thought about doing anything else. I used to act out Disney movies in our house. It was something that was in my blood.”

Her dreams came true in 2013 when she got a role in Kristen Wiig and Matt Dillon’s film Girl Most likely — and she did it without her father’s help. “She has a small part in the movie that she got on her own, not through me,” Macchio told PEOPLE at the premiere.

The father-daughter duo ended up starring opposite each other for the first time in Season 4 Cobra Kai on Netflix, Macchio returns as Daniel LaRusso and Julia plays his cousin Vanessa LaRusso. Julia later appeared a second time in season 5.

“She knocked it out of the park,” Macchio told PEOPLE, noting that his daughter’s appearance on the show is “definitely a highlight” for him and “just a pleasure.”

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And for her part, Julia had just as many nice things to say about her father and how “he’s always been a great, wise source because he’s been involved in this business for so long,” while she remained “grounded,” which she felt the most useful.

She continued: “He never hesitated to give me advice, but he also always supported me in my career [of] my own.”

To celebrate the joint work on Cobra Kaiwhich she said “couldn’t have been a more fun experience”, Julia posted photos of them on Instagram with the caption: “Before I started/After wrapping with the best dad in the world.”

Away from the TV cameras, she devoted her time to musical theater, acting in several productions such as Without you and Set to music!: From song to stage. And when she’s not busy portraying a character, she often shares adorable family moments on social media, from red carpets to throwback photos.

Julia Macchio Instagram

2020 has been a tough year for Fierro, who has been working as a nurse on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Julia celebrated her mother’s birthday with a heartfelt post on Instagram.

“You are a true hero… You are the best in the entire universe. You are the first one at the stage door. You are the last one standing and cheering in the front row,” she wrote. “You are a gift to the world. So today and every day I celebrate you and I couldn’t be more grateful that you are in it.” Julia is also not shy about her special bond with her dad, whom she calls “the greatest loving family man, friend, (and) hard worker,” and her brother Daniel, her “best friend” and “one of the greatest joys” of her life.

Daniel, 29

Daniel Macchio and Ralph Macchio attend Netflix’s “Ozark” Season 4 premiere in 2022.

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Daniel “Dan” Macchio, the youngest member of the Macchio family, was born on October 24, 1995.

Daniel’s name has a unique meaning, because it is also a name The Karate Kid the character that made Macchia famous and the name of Fierro’s cousin and best friend. “The name Daniel will always mean something special to me,” Macchio told PEOPLE, which is why he wanted to keep it in the family and gave the honor to his son.

But unlike his father and sister, Dan did not venture into the world of acting, but continued his sports career. He is currently the head of business intelligence and analytics for the New York Islanders and previously worked for Live Nation and the NHL, according to his LinkedIn. But when he was younger, he wanted to be a pilot, and his supportive dad got him his first flying lesson for his birthday.

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Today, the father-son duo remain close, with Dan calling Macchia “the best dad ever” and “the best in the world” on Instagram. What’s more, he’s a big fan of his dad’s work — even though he didn’t always realize how famous he was The Karate Kid he was.

“When he was 5, my mom must have sent him a bucket full of teen magazines from that era,” Macchio said on Good morning America in October 2022 “I [Daniel] he enters the house not knowing what is happening. He says: ‘Dad was huge and we miss him!’ ”

The star went on to joke that his son was watching him Cobra Kai and knows “Daddy is a quasi-golem”, which is “so wonderful”. Macchio didn’t expect his kids to “champion the show” as much as they do or “be so proud of it,” and called the surprise that the project has become “such a big part of their lives” the most wonderful reward.

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Source: HIS Education