10 Best One-Hit-Wonder Actors
2. Ralph Macchio
If you look back at Ralph Macchio's career, which is long and full of credits, you will find a ton of memorable performances. Why then is he on a list all about one-hit-wonders? It has everything to do with The Karate Kid, and his portrayal of Daniel LaRusso, which is the role that made him a star.
Macchio would continue to play the character in two sequels, but most impressively, he managed to revive the character in an all-new series on YouTube Red called Cobra Kai. Essentially, he's still playing the same role that made him famous 35+ years ago, which is a significant achievement for any actor.
If you look at Macchio's other roles in films, he played Johnny Cade in The Outsiders the year before Karate Kid was released, and he played opposite Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. Unfortunately, those were his biggest and most significant roles, neither of which hold a candle to The Karate Kid's stardom.
Most of Macchio's recent work has been in television, where he often plays himself, but Cobra Kai's success is his real achievement. Not only did he and the rest of the people involved manage to breathe new life into their characters from nearly 40 years ago, but they also found a way to make it relevant to kids today, and that's no easy task.