Whatever Happened to the Kids From ‘The Karate Kid’? See What the Original Cast Is Up to Now!

Fans young and old can connect to Daniel LaRusso’s story on The Karate Kid. “It’s relatable,” Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel in the film previously said about the movie’s theme of bullying to ScreenRant. “Daniel Russo was the every kid next door. And I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of with that character is he was relatable in a way that he kind of had no business winning anything.”

Even though the film came out in 1984, it still resonates with young people today. “I have people to this day, [who are] up into their 40s, 50s and 60s, [and] the younger generation that are moved by this film,” Ralph explained. “[They] tell me stories of how it got them through a difficult time or if they had an ailment and it was the movie that they just kept on the loop and, you know, because it made them feel good.”

Now 35 years after the film was released, Ralph and former costars William Zabka, Elisabeth Shue, Chad McQueen and Rob Garrison have lived a life beyond their wildest dreams. Thanks to The Karate Kid, each actor can say they’ve been apart of a project that they’ll never forget.

Scroll below to see where Ralph and the rest of the gang are up to today!

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