Ralph Macchio Has Found Success Both Professionally and Personally

Ralph George Macchio was born on November 4, 1961 in New York. He's best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in the "Karate Kid" movie series (three parts). Other big memorable movie roles is his past includes playing Johnny Cade in The Outsiders and Billy Gambini in My Cousin Vinny.

The Outsiders pitted him alongside big name stars who had yet to achieve fame - like Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Matt Dillon. Many of you may even remember him playing Jeremy Andretti on Eight is Enough.

It was 1984, when he became internationally famous as Daniel LaRusso. Although he played a teenager he was already in his twenties. Many fans will remember his face on teen magazines like Tiger Beat 16 and Teen Beat.

In 1986, he played another memorable role in Crossroads. His career kept going full steam ahead as he starred in movies like The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, The Other Side, Naked in New York, A Good Night to Die, and Beer League - to name just a few.

By 2005, he appeared in the HBO hit TV series, Entourage. This opened the door for other cameo roles in new shows like Head Case, Ugly Betty, and Law & Order.

His level of success kept him strong and his personal life didn't suffer for it either. In 1987 he married Phyllis Fierro a nurse who was friends of the family. They went on to raise two children: Julia, who was born in 1992 and Daniel, born in 1996.

With his return to not only TV, but the public eye, fans are anxious to see him once again. He is currently paired with Karina Smirnoff on "Dancing With The Stars," and the two are already early fan favorite. The dance team's foxtrot was elegant and the crowd gave them a standing ovation. Head judge, Len Goodman called their performance the best foxtrot of the night. Goodman also said Macchio has great dancing potential. The judges gave their dance a combined total of 24 out of 30. He's off to a great start and fans are eager to see him back in the spotlight.

If you are on Team Kamacchio don't forget to vote to keep them in the competition. Check out Team Kamacchio's rehearsal photos.

"Dancing With The Stars" airs every Monday and Tuesday. Other celebrities appearing this season include Chris Jericho, Kirstie Alley, Wendy Williams, Sugar Ray Leonard, Kendra Wilkinson, Petra Nemcova, and Hines Ward. Next week Chris Brown will perform on the dance floor.