'Cobra Kai' Star Ralph Macchio Shares His Best Marriage Advice

From The Pioneer Woman

If you've been watching Cobra Kai, then you already know that Daniel and Ali didn't end up together. While their teenage romance burned out after the first Karate Kid film, the actor who plays Daniel is still going strong with his real-life high school sweetheart.

Ralph Macchio first met Phyllis Fierro at a birthday party when he was 15 years old, long before his part in Karate Kid made him a household name.

"This is 1970 or whatever," Ralph told People. "She was a friend of my cousin, and we just smiled and talked and danced a little. Probably the Hustle!"

The pair quickly fell in love and tied the knot in 1987, less than a year after Karate Kid II was released. Now, they have been happily married for more than 33 years and share two children together: Daniel, 25, and Julia, 28. For the sake of his wife and kids, Ralph has taken a "one foot in, one foot out" approach to Hollywood—and he credits Phyllis with making that possible.

"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," Ralph explained. "Because there would not be balance."

As Mr. Miyagi once said, "balance is key." But that's not their only secret to a long-lasting marriage. Ralph says his relationship with Phyllis is rooted in their "commitment" to each other.

"It's the belief through the easy times, through the tough times, whatever we encounter, that we are meant to be together," he said. "We know that we will overcome all because we believe in that, the foundation of that."

So, in case you were wondering whether Ralph is as great of a husband as Daniel is on Cobra Kai...the answer is yes! ❤️