Ralph Macchio's 2 Kids: All About Julia and Daniel

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan

Ralph Macchiois a Karate Dad … and a proud one, too!

The actor, who shares children Julia and Daniel with his wife of nearly four decades,Phyllis Fierro, calls raising their family his “biggest accomplishment.”

Macchio and Fierro grew up in neighboring Long Island towns and fell in love at first sight. TheKarate Kidstarmet his future wifewhen he was just 15, long before he became a household name, at a cousin’s birthday party in his grandmother’s basement. Sparks flew, and Macchio later said he “just knew” she was the one for him immediately.

The couple wed in August 1987 and welcomed daughter Julia in 1992 and son Daniel — whom Macchio named after hisKarate Kidcharacter — in 1995.

Julia has followed Macchio’s footsteps as an actress, even appearing alongside her father in seasons 4 and 5 ofCobra Kai.

And although the father-of-two’s children are all grown up, he told PEOPLE in 2021 that he is still “learning all the time” about parenting. “Everything I do now, more often than 10, 15 years ago, I’m thinking of it for the sake of my children as they’re getting older,” he shared. “They’re adults, but they’re always your kids.”

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“I’m so proud of you. You make me way better than I am,” the actor said to Julia and Daniel during his acceptance speech. “Sharing this with you is overwhelming, it’s everything.”

Here’s everything to know about Ralph Macchio’s kids, Julia and Daniel.

Julia, 32

Julia Macchio Instagram

Macchio and Fierro welcomed their first child, daughter Julia, on May 20, 1992. Speaking withPopternativein 2022, Julia revealed that she began singing and dancing at age 5, so it didn’t take long for her to start dreaming of following in her dad’s footsteps in the acting world.

“It’ssomething that I have wanted to dosince as long as I can remember,” she told PEOPLE. “I don’t think there was ever really a moment where I thought of doing anything else. I used to act out Disney movies in our house. It was something that was in my blood.”

The father and daughter duo eventually acted opposite each other for the first time in season 4 ofCobra Kaion Netflix,with Macchio returning as Daniel LaRusso and Julia starring as his cousin Vanessa LaRusso. Julia later made a second appearance in season 5.

“She knocked it out of the park,” Macchio told PEOPLE, noting that having his daughter appear on the show was “certainly a highlight” for him and “just a joy.”

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And on her part, Julia had just as many nice things to say about her father and how “he’s always been a great, wise resource to have because he’s been involved in this business for so long” while remaining “grounded,” which she found the most helpful.

She continued, “He never hesitated to give me advice, but has also always supported me having a career [of] my own.”

To celebrate working together onCobra Kai, which she said “could not have been a more fun experience,” Julia posted photos of themon Instagramwith the caption, “Before I started/After I wrapped with the best dad in the world.”

2020 was a difficult year for Fierro, who worked as a nurse practitioner on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, soJulia celebrated her mother’s birthdaywith a heartfelt Instagram post.

“You’re a true hero … You’re the best of the entire universe. You’re the first one at the stage door. You’re the last one standing and cheering in the front row,” she wrote. “You’re a gift to the world. So today and every day I celebrate you and could not be more grateful that you are in it.“Julia is also not shy about her special bond with her dad, whom she calls “themost loving family man, friend, (and) hard worker,” and her brother Daniel, her “best friend” and “one of the greatest joys” of her life.

Daniel, 29

Daniel Macchio and Ralph Macchio attend the Netflix’s “Ozark” Season 4 Premiere in 2022.Mike Coppola/Getty

Mike Coppola/Getty

Daniel “Dan” Macchio, the youngest member of the Macchio family, was born on Oct. 24, 1995.

Daniel’s name has a unique meaning, as it’s both the name of theKarate Kidcharacter that shot Macchio to fame and the name of Fierro’s cousin and best friend. “For me the name Daniel will always mean something special,” Macchio told PEOPLE, which is why he wanted to keep it in the family and gave his son the honor.

But unlike his dad and sister, Dan hasn’t ventured into the acting world and instead has pursued a sports career. He’s currently a business intelligence and analytics manager for the New York Islanders and previously worked for Live Nation and the NHL, according to hisLinkedIn. However, when he was younger, he wanted to be a pilot, and his supportive dad got him his first flight lesson for his birthday.

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Today, the father-son duo remain close, with Dan calling Macchio “the best dad ever” and “the best one out there” on Instagram. What’s more, he’s a big fan of his dad’s work — althoughhe didn’t always realizejust how famous theKarate Kidwas.

“When he was 5 years old, my mom must have sent over a bin full of teen magazines from back in the day,” Macchio said onGood Morning Americain October 2022. “And [Daniel] comes in the house not knowing what’s going on. He’s like, ‘Dad was huge and we missed it!’ "

The star went on to joke that his son is watching him onCobra Kaiand knows “Dad is quasi-huge,” which is “so wonderful.” Macchio wasn’t expecting his kids to “champion the show” as much as they do or “take such pride in it,” and called the surprise of seeing the project become “such a big part of their life” the most amazing reward.

source: people.com