By Michelle Tauber January 06, 2021 03:00 PM
Ralph Macchio has long taken a “one foot in, one foot out” approach to Hollywood — and he credits one person with making it possible: his wife of 33 years, Phyllis Fierro.
“Without her and without the foundation and the family we established, ‘one foot in, one foot out’ would have been very, very difficult on my own,” Macchio, 59, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Because there would not be balance.”
The father of two, who stars in the Netflix hit series Cobra Kai — which debuted its third season on Jan. 1 to record-breaking viewership — became a household name playing teen martial arts student Daniel LaRusso in 1984’s The Karate Kid. He was 22 at the time and had met Phyllis years earlier, at a cousin’s birthday party in his grandmother’s basement when he was 15.
Watch the full episode of People Features: Ralph Macchio streaming now on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device.
Ralph Macchio and his wife, Phyllis Fierro | CREDIT: GILBERT CARRASQUILLO/FILMMAGIC
Red more: Ralph Macchio on His 33-Year Marriage to High School Sweetheart | PEOPLE.com