June 12, 2025 • 9 mins
Actor Ralph Macchio talks new movie 'Karate Kid: Legends', 'Cobra Kai' series finale and more!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're on with Mario Lopez.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
By Mario Lopez joining right now on Zoom from the
new movie Karate Kid Legends.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
My man, mister Ralph Macchio, how are you, Ralph?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
That's up. I'm great. I'm great. It's like, you know,
being in the family room when I get to talk
to you. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I gotta say you were so cool and generous with
your time. When I took two of my kids, my
daughter gam my son Dominic to the Cobra Kai season premiere,
it made their year. And my son has seen the
series all the seasons three times.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well my daughters.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I mean, you got a lot of fans of Costa Lopez.
So thank you again, your cool class ag brother.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
That was great. We were very excited to see you there. Man.
That was the kind of the finale premiere of all
sixty five episodes of that show that kind of kept
us company through a pandemic and became everybody's comfort food. Right.
And so to see your your fan, your kids so well,
he so well behaved, respectful, it's like, you know, when
(01:03):
I see that, it's you know, it reminds me of
my upbringing. So kudos to you. Guys, and I'm really
cool for us.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I appreciate it was very nice. I got to meet
your daughter too, that was very nice too.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
She was there a whole crew.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And coming off the heels of the massive success of
Cobra Kati, you're now starring in the sixth Karate Kid movie,
Karate Kid Legends, which we're planning on checking out this
weekend too, because I've been traveling.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I told him to wait for me. How was it,
first of all, man working with Jackie Chan.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, it's it's pretty I mean, Jackie Chan's a legend
of in the stunt world, in the movie world, and
he's he's like the he says he's seventy one and
he's the youngest kid on the set. He just loves
being there, you know. It's really I pride myself on
that as well. But to see him at his age
(01:52):
be the first one there and the last to leave
and hang the lights if you need him, and to
help the dolly get the dolly. Guys like grabbing movie
the camera and he hits a bump, Jackie's like jumps
and grabs the back end of the dolly. You know,
he's that kind of spirit and uh, and I was
a little nervous because you know, here's a guy who's
can do anything. Yeah, and so on day one when
(02:15):
I saw him tweak his shoulder a little bit, there
was a little bit of a comfort like, Oh, he's
like the rest of us.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
He's yeah, exactly, He's human.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But it's great and a great a great father's day.
You know, coming up is the perfect kind of movie.
You know, the themes of mentorship, father son, you know,
single parenting, all those all those themes are are woven
into the Karate Kid fabric and and are laced throughout
this film as well. And the kid is really wonderful too,
(02:44):
Ben Woan really fantastic.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And does the film weave in uh storyline from Cobra Kai?
Are they connected at all? Or is it standalone?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
There? There, it's in the same universe. There will be
some surprises in Easter Eggs, which I know you will love, Okay,
but it's it's not a continuation of Cobra Kai. It's
its own I described it as its own ecosystem in
the Grand Universe, and it does. It is in the
same universe. It's just about three years later after the
(03:13):
events from that, you know, season finale premiere you went to.
It's so LaRusso My character is kind of landed in
a place kind of where I believed he would land,
especially after working everything out with Johnny Lawrence and then
becoming besties even though they butt heads, right, and so
(03:33):
he's become more more of a season since the more
Miagi if you will, I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Are you pleased with the way the series ended and
do you feel there's still yet more stories to tell
for Daniel LaRusso in the universe.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, it's you know, I'm absolutely thrilled with how the
finale of Cobra Kai. I really think they did a
beautiful job of it feeling like a ka Kid movie
seen through the lens of the Cobra Kai tonal fabric,
you know, fabrics the wrong word, but that kind of
(04:08):
it's through the lens of Cobra Kai. But it felt
like a Karate Kid movie. You know, you felt like
all those the best around came through and montages and
me and Johnny Lawrence and you're driving down Ventura Boulevard
and the forty seven Ford Convertible. It had all that
fans service, but it it really landed in a good
(04:30):
way and also thematically, Mario. It end in a way
where you have these two guys. You look at the
Cobra Guys series that could not get along. They were
the worst of enemies and at the end of it
became the best versions of themselves for the next generation.
And I think in that is a kind of message
for the world, you know what I mean, if you're different,
(04:51):
you could have your differences, but do for the greater
good of the next generation. And the movie Legends does
that as well. Know, it's really about you know, overcoming
all those obstacles and somehow good over evil and and
being the best version of yourself. I think there's a
(05:11):
shortage of those kind of films for all agents, right.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I thought it was just so smart the way they
approached it, and incredibly clever and well written, and you
guys were great in the performances.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I was very pleased as a fan.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The other day, Uh, it was the forty fifth anniversary
of the release of I believe it was your very
first movie up.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
The Coup the Academy.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, Academy Crazy you play you played that's a great name.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Who I mean he was the son of a mob guy.
It was great and Robert Downey Sr. Directed that Wow,
And Downey Downey was junior, was you know, fourteen on
set Wow, and it was. So that's where it's just
amazing to to have this kind of you know, listen,
(06:02):
it's forty five years and so almays half a century.
You know, I mean that was my first, my first,
my first movie, and uh, it's it's it's pretty incredible
to you know. When I saw that, I saw that post,
I almost put it up and I just got sidetracked.
But you know, it's, uh.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
You got to put it up.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
It's true. Yeah, yeah, it's a good one. It's a
good one. And to answer, I know I never answered
your question previous. Is there more room for Cobra Kai?
Is there more room for other chapters? I think, you know,
the guys who created Cobra Kai have a few balls
in the air in that world. It's a matter of
timing and finding it. You know. I think as long
as it can be fresh and organic and genuinely truthful
(06:44):
to these characters, I'll always listen. Is it at some
point that it's time to put this to bed? I
think the fans will will let us know that. But
to this point, I'm feeling pretty good about putting that
much positive and joy out to people.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You know you should, and for some reason you ever
go prequel style and they do. Daniel Russo back in Jersey,
my son always gets told constantly he looks like a
young Ralph Maccio.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, just a little better. He's a little better looking,
I will say.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
And he's an actor too. Three movies this year.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Problem is telling you great, Well, you know what. That's
the storyline that I when they asked me if there's
anything that you haven't done yet in this world, what
would that be? And I always say I would love
to somehow see who this kid was the first fifteen
years of his life. He never talked about his father
really that much. It was always the Miyagi in the world. True,
(07:38):
what is that for the first fifteen years of your life?
Are so impressionable in your entire life? So I'm all
about it. I'd love to direct an episode or something
to find that. So I know who I'm calling first.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Hey, my man, I love it.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Hey list last week because I loved that I saw
you on social media. Somebody asks you something to think
about Peschi. Your Peschi impression is really good.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah, I did a thing called Last Meals. He does
a great job, this guy, Josh. It's a really yeah.
But I had I did my you know my Yeah,
I mean it's it's I go through all my Italian
co stars and fortunately, yeah, I wound I wound up
going from Pesci to de Niro and then it became
Chris Walkin even without Monny.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Because you worked at de Niro on stage, riding Cuban.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
On the stage and Cubero study very that was a
big deal. Yeah, yeah, and I and I saw him recently.
We were at Francis Ford Coppola's American Film Institute Lifetime
Achievement event that's gonna hit TNT on the June eighteenth.
Uh so I saw all those Uh it's it's nice
to be associated with the narrative of someone like Francis Coppola.
(08:47):
So it was it was super cool.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I love it, man, I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Hey, brother, you know, I'm a huge fan, and thank
you so much for taking the time. And hopefully we'll
get to see in person soon. And listen, everyone, please
be sure to catch Ralph in the new movie Karate Legends,
which is in theaters right now.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Nice catching upwome great, Mario, I appreciate it man. It's
always great to see you too, buddy, and thanks in
my family, I'll see you.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Thank you, buddy, take your brother.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Thank you. Draw with Mario Lopez
You're on with Mario Lopez.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
By Mario Lopez joining right now on Zoom from the
new movie Karate Kid Legends.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
My man, mister Ralph Macchio, how are you, Ralph?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
That's up. I'm great. I'm great. It's like, you know,
being in the family room when I get to talk
to you. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I gotta say you were so cool and generous with
your time. When I took two of my kids, my
daughter gam my son Dominic to the Cobra Kai season premiere,
it made their year. And my son has seen the
series all the seasons three times.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well my daughters.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I mean, you got a lot of fans of Costa Lopez.
So thank you again, your cool class ag brother.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
That was great. We were very excited to see you there. Man.
That was the kind of the finale premiere of all
sixty five episodes of that show that kind of kept
us company through a pandemic and became everybody's comfort food. Right.
And so to see your your fan, your kids so well,
he so well behaved, respectful, it's like, you know, when
(01:03):
I see that, it's you know, it reminds me of
my upbringing. So kudos to you. Guys, and I'm really
cool for us.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I appreciate it was very nice. I got to meet
your daughter too, that was very nice too.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
She was there a whole crew.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And coming off the heels of the massive success of
Cobra Kati, you're now starring in the sixth Karate Kid movie,
Karate Kid Legends, which we're planning on checking out this
weekend too, because I've been traveling.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I told him to wait for me. How was it,
first of all, man working with Jackie Chan.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, it's it's pretty I mean, Jackie Chan's a legend
of in the stunt world, in the movie world, and
he's he's like the he says he's seventy one and
he's the youngest kid on the set. He just loves
being there, you know. It's really I pride myself on
that as well. But to see him at his age
(01:52):
be the first one there and the last to leave
and hang the lights if you need him, and to
help the dolly get the dolly. Guys like grabbing movie
the camera and he hits a bump, Jackie's like jumps
and grabs the back end of the dolly. You know,
he's that kind of spirit and uh, and I was
a little nervous because you know, here's a guy who's
can do anything. Yeah, and so on day one when
(02:15):
I saw him tweak his shoulder a little bit, there
was a little bit of a comfort like, Oh, he's
like the rest of us.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
He's yeah, exactly, He's human.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But it's great and a great a great father's day.
You know, coming up is the perfect kind of movie.
You know, the themes of mentorship, father son, you know,
single parenting, all those all those themes are are woven
into the Karate Kid fabric and and are laced throughout
this film as well. And the kid is really wonderful too,
(02:44):
Ben Woan really fantastic.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And does the film weave in uh storyline from Cobra Kai?
Are they connected at all? Or is it standalone?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
There? There, it's in the same universe. There will be
some surprises in Easter Eggs, which I know you will love, Okay,
but it's it's not a continuation of Cobra Kai. It's
its own I described it as its own ecosystem in
the Grand Universe, and it does. It is in the
same universe. It's just about three years later after the
(03:13):
events from that, you know, season finale premiere you went to.
It's so LaRusso My character is kind of landed in
a place kind of where I believed he would land,
especially after working everything out with Johnny Lawrence and then
becoming besties even though they butt heads, right, and so
(03:33):
he's become more more of a season since the more
Miagi if you will, I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Are you pleased with the way the series ended and
do you feel there's still yet more stories to tell
for Daniel LaRusso in the universe.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, it's you know, I'm absolutely thrilled with how the
finale of Cobra Kai. I really think they did a
beautiful job of it feeling like a ka Kid movie
seen through the lens of the Cobra Kai tonal fabric,
you know, fabrics the wrong word, but that kind of
(04:08):
it's through the lens of Cobra Kai. But it felt
like a Karate Kid movie. You know, you felt like
all those the best around came through and montages and
me and Johnny Lawrence and you're driving down Ventura Boulevard
and the forty seven Ford Convertible. It had all that
fans service, but it it really landed in a good
(04:30):
way and also thematically, Mario. It end in a way
where you have these two guys. You look at the
Cobra Guys series that could not get along. They were
the worst of enemies and at the end of it
became the best versions of themselves for the next generation.
And I think in that is a kind of message
for the world, you know what I mean, if you're different,
(04:51):
you could have your differences, but do for the greater
good of the next generation. And the movie Legends does
that as well. Know, it's really about you know, overcoming
all those obstacles and somehow good over evil and and
being the best version of yourself. I think there's a
(05:11):
shortage of those kind of films for all agents, right.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I thought it was just so smart the way they
approached it, and incredibly clever and well written, and you
guys were great in the performances.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I was very pleased as a fan.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The other day, Uh, it was the forty fifth anniversary
of the release of I believe it was your very
first movie up.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
The Coup the Academy.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, Academy Crazy you play you played that's a great name.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Who I mean he was the son of a mob guy.
It was great and Robert Downey Sr. Directed that Wow,
And Downey Downey was junior, was you know, fourteen on
set Wow, and it was. So that's where it's just
amazing to to have this kind of you know, listen,
(06:02):
it's forty five years and so almays half a century.
You know, I mean that was my first, my first,
my first movie, and uh, it's it's it's pretty incredible
to you know. When I saw that, I saw that post,
I almost put it up and I just got sidetracked.
But you know, it's, uh.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
You got to put it up.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
It's true. Yeah, yeah, it's a good one. It's a
good one. And to answer, I know I never answered
your question previous. Is there more room for Cobra Kai?
Is there more room for other chapters? I think, you know,
the guys who created Cobra Kai have a few balls
in the air in that world. It's a matter of
timing and finding it. You know. I think as long
as it can be fresh and organic and genuinely truthful
(06:44):
to these characters, I'll always listen. Is it at some
point that it's time to put this to bed? I
think the fans will will let us know that. But
to this point, I'm feeling pretty good about putting that
much positive and joy out to people.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You know you should, and for some reason you ever
go prequel style and they do. Daniel Russo back in Jersey,
my son always gets told constantly he looks like a
young Ralph Maccio.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, just a little better. He's a little better looking,
I will say.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
And he's an actor too. Three movies this year.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Problem is telling you great, Well, you know what. That's
the storyline that I when they asked me if there's
anything that you haven't done yet in this world, what
would that be? And I always say I would love
to somehow see who this kid was the first fifteen
years of his life. He never talked about his father
really that much. It was always the Miyagi in the world. True,
(07:38):
what is that for the first fifteen years of your life?
Are so impressionable in your entire life? So I'm all
about it. I'd love to direct an episode or something
to find that. So I know who I'm calling first.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Hey, my man, I love it.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Hey list last week because I loved that I saw
you on social media. Somebody asks you something to think
about Peschi. Your Peschi impression is really good.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah, I did a thing called Last Meals. He does
a great job, this guy, Josh. It's a really yeah.
But I had I did my you know my Yeah,
I mean it's it's I go through all my Italian
co stars and fortunately, yeah, I wound I wound up
going from Pesci to de Niro and then it became
Chris Walkin even without Monny.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Because you worked at de Niro on stage, riding Cuban.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
On the stage and Cubero study very that was a
big deal. Yeah, yeah, and I and I saw him recently.
We were at Francis Ford Coppola's American Film Institute Lifetime
Achievement event that's gonna hit TNT on the June eighteenth.
Uh so I saw all those Uh it's it's nice
to be associated with the narrative of someone like Francis Coppola.
(08:47):
So it was it was super cool.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I love it, man, I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Hey, brother, you know, I'm a huge fan, and thank
you so much for taking the time. And hopefully we'll
get to see in person soon. And listen, everyone, please
be sure to catch Ralph in the new movie Karate Legends,
which is in theaters right now.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Nice catching upwome great, Mario, I appreciate it man. It's
always great to see you too, buddy, and thanks in
my family, I'll see you.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Thank you, buddy, take your brother.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Thank you. Draw with Mario Lopez
Host
Mario Lopez
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.