A whole generation began to feel very old when a number of TikTok videos claimed that Ralph Macchio, the actor who played Daniel Larusso in “The Karate Kid” film franchise of the 1980s was more than 60 years old.
Many on TikTok expressed shock at what appeared to be Macchio’s ageless features.
It is correct that Macchio is now 62 years old. According to his IMDb page he was born in November 1961.
He confirmed his age in a September 2022 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, where he was asked about how people around him reacted when they learned his real age. Macchio said people were “maybe a little surprised” and then admitted he was 60 years old.
The exchange can be heard at the 1:05 mark:
In November 2023, news broke about a new Karate Kid movie in the works with Macchio and Chinese star Jackie Chan, who had appeared in a 2010 reboot of the series. Chan and Macchio announced a global casting call to find the new teenage star of the film.