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Ralph Macchio Has the Cutest Story About Meeting His Wife When He Was 15

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It always warms our hearts to hear about couples who’ve kept their spark alive for decades, especially when they also happen to be our favorite celebrities. Ralph Macchio and his wife, Phyllis Fierro, are pretty amazing examples of that, and they met when they were teens!

Macchio recently told People that he was just 15 when he and Fierro were introduced at a party in his grandmother’s basement. “This is 1970 or whatever, so this is Cheez Doodles, 7Up, Tootsie Rolls, probably the Ruffles with onion dip,” he described. “She was a friend of my cousin, and we just smiled and talked and danced a little. Probably the Hustle!”

Imagining the baby-faced actor (59) doing the Hustle might make us giggle, but it clearly charmed Fierro (60). The pair have been married for 33 years and share two children, Julie (28) and Daniel (25). Macchio says the key to their long-lasting love is simply, commitment.

“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.”

Macchio also credits his wife for keeping him and their family strong. Similar to the “wax on, wax off” motto from his Karate Kid films, Fierro helps him practice a “one foot in, one foot out” mentality when it comes to his Hollywood career.

“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,” he explained. “Because there would not be balance.”

And for those wondering, yes, the couple did in fact name their son Daniel after Macchio’s Karate Kid character. The actor admitted to Jimmy Fallon that they just really loved the name and that his son seems proud to have it. Considering Macchio’s currently reprising the role on the record-breaking Netflix series Cobra Kai, there’s plenty to be proud of!

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