Ralph Macchio Reveals the Sweet Way He Stayed Connected to Wife of 37 Years While Filming “Cobra Kai” (Exclusive)
The actor spoke to PEOPLE about keeping his bond with wife Phyllis Fierro strong while away for months of a time filming his hit Netflix show
Ralph Macchio is opening up about life behind the scenes.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Cobra Kai season 6 premiere event on Wednesday, July 17, Macchio, 62, explained how he and his wife Phyllis Fierro handle being away from one another while he films the series.
“Well, now with FaceTime and Zoom, it's helpful. Before then, there were phone calls,” Macchio, who plays Karate Kid breakout Daniel LaRusso on Cobra Kai, tells PEOPLE. “Now you can actually look at each other and have Sunday dinner on occasion.”
The actor also learned the importance of actively participating in a partnership when he returns home, something he learned in season 3 after coming back from 5 months away.
"I got used to the single life," he jokes. "You had to step back and say, 'Okay, I'm not the king of every room in this castle. I got to get back to the sharing.' "
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Macchio has been married to Fierro since 1987 after meeting her when he was just 15 years old.
The couple share two children: daughter Julia, 31 — who played Daniel LaRusso's cousin Vanessa on Cobra Kai — and son Daniel, 28.
All were together with Macchio on the red carpet of the premiere Wednesday night, something he gushed about. “My family's here tonight, and it's so wonderful to have them," he says.
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Of course, the name Daniel has special meaning for Macchio. "My wife's cousin Daniel was her best friend growing up. And yeah, for me the name Daniel will always mean something special," he told,PEOPLE back in 2009, noting his role in the Karate Kid franchise.
"My biggest accomplishment has been raising my family, he added.
And the actor credits his wife for helping him keep his family and work life balanced.
"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," Macchio said. "Because there would not be balance."
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