Waxing On, Ralph Macchio

Okay, who doesn’t like nostalgia? I actually thought the book would be about his life, but it centered only on The Karate Kid movie and the current series Cobra Kai. Fine with me, I grew up in the 80s. The guy is almost too nice if that’s possible. So pleasant to see a child actor who doesn’t fall prey to the lures of Hollywood debauchery. I know I would have. If you enjoy The Karate Kid series, then this book is for you. One interesting component was that the reason Ralph did 3 movies was the fact they roped him in on that deal with the first contract – a possible 3-picture deal based around the series. He did not want to do part 3, felt the lessons and stories had been told, but had no choice. Luckily part 3 plays an important role in Cobra Kai. So in the end it all worked out well for him, which, if you read this book, is a good cause for applause. He finally realized being pigeonholed LaRusso from The Karate Kid wasn’t so bad at all, and being known as that teenager from the iconic original is a gift, not a black mark for typecasting in his career, which it certainly did. Everything is the center of everything.