Ep200: Ralph Macchio ‘Waxing On’ About Authentically Living a More Balanced and Fulfilling Life

<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001494/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ralph Macchio</strong></a> is an actor, producer, and director obviously most well known for his portrayal of Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid films and now the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai. He has also appeared on both stage and screen in notable credits including <em>The Outsiders, Crossroads, </em>and<em> My Cousin Vinny. </em>Most recently, he has also added ‘NYT bestselling author’ to his credits after releasing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Waxing-Karate-Kid-Ralph-Macchio/dp/0593185838" rel="nofollow"><strong><em>Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me</em></strong></a> which I can not recommend enough (it probably comes as no surprise I read the entire book in one sitting).</p><p>In one of the few rare occurrences where Ralph has made himself available for a long form conversation (as opposed to doing the rounds on the talk shows for a few minutes at a time), Ralph and I dive deep into his life, his successes, and his failures along the way far beyond just his role as Daniel LaRusso in The <em>Karate Kid</em> and <em>Cobra Kai</em> (but for all you diehard fans don’t worry…we definitely discuss that too). Ralph shares his challenges with maintaining authenticity in both his performances but also who he is as a person, father, and husband. Given his personal relationship with Pat Morita offscreen that translated to his relationship with Mr. Miyagi onscreen, we discuss mentorship and how it has shaped him. We honestly discuss how Ralph has managed the challenge of being pigeonholed as a single character his entire acting career. And most importantly, this wouldn’t be a proper conversation without discussing how to live a life defined by balance.</p><p>Whether The Karate Kid was your Star Wars or you’re literally hearing of Ralph Macchio for the first time, there’s no better way to say it: Today’s conversation will inspire the shit out of you.</p><h3>Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?</h3><p><a href="https://optimizeyourself.me/subscri