Ralph Macchio: 'Karate Kid' co-star's legacy 'shines brighter than ever'
Ralph Macchio pays tribute to his late "Karate Kid" co-star Pat Morita in a new essay for People magazine. Credit: Getty Images / Dia Dipasupil
In a heartfelt essay, Dix Hills-raised Ralph Macchio reflected on his personal and professional relationship with his "Karate Kid" film-series co-star, the late Pat Morita, whose Oscar-nominated portrayal of sensei Mr. Miyagi remains a pop-cultural touchstone.
In a "What I Wish I Could Tell You" essay for People magazine posted Sunday, Macchio addressed his friend and colleague, who died in 2005 at age 73, telling him: "The legacy of your work and contribution to the world in your portrayal of Mr. Miyagi shines brighter than ever." Morita's character taught Macchio's teenage Daniel LaRusso both martial arts and life lessons in their 1984-89 trio of "Karate Kid" movies; Morita reprised the role in "The Next Karate Kid" (1994), with Hilary Swank.
"I have this wonderful opportunity to walk in your sensei shoes as I impart the wisdom and experiences of our days together," wrote Macchio, 61, who for five seasons has starred as a grown-up LaRusso, now a karate teacher himself, on the spinoff Netflix series "Cobra Kai." "The spirit of Miyagi is felt throughout this show. However, it is the spirit of Pat Morita that resonates through me and onto others."
He added, "Whether it's your comedic sushi-ordering skills or the seamless transitions in and out of character ... or the care you took when meeting my children years later, these moments are embedded into my memory and are as present to me as they were when they happened."
Macchio noted, "On the street, I have 12-year-old kids approach me, and they know who Mr. Miyagi is. They ask if you 'were a cool guy,' and often my adult-age kids respond with 'the coolest.' Thank you for the gift of our friendship, for blessing us with your brilliant portrayal of the iconic Mr. Miyagi and, mostly, for your ongoing presence in my life."
Macchio, who still lives on Long Island, also wrote at length about Morita in his new memoir, "Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me." The title refers to a Zen exercise Miyagi imposed on LaRusso, making the youngster wash and wax his teacher's vintage 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible.
