Before Ralph Macchio stole hearts as the Karate Kid, he was stealing someone else’s heart at a birthday party in Long Island, New York.
Macchio met his wife Phyllis Farrow when he was just 15 – before he became a household name. The couple has been married since 1987 and credits their enduring love to hard work and commitment.
Phyllis Fierro is the real-life wife of Ralph McCue. She also wrote a book called “The Real Mrs. McCue” which tells her story of being married to the world’s greatest cartoonist. In this book, she tells the real story behind the fictional wife in the comic strip.
I have been married to Ralph since January 15th, 2009. We were both working for the same company and were in the same city at the time. He knew I wanted to be a mom, but was unsure if he would even want kids. A couple of weeks later we decided to have a baby.
Ralph and Phyllis have been married for 42 years and are the parents of four children and grandparents of two. Ralph is a native of West Texas and was the youngest of five children born to a school teacher and a cowboy rancher. His first job after graduating from high school was working at a service station. He then became a mechanic and repairman. When he
This is a simple post about my wife Phyllis Fierro. She’s the love of my life.
Phyllis is a professional graphic artist who has been married to Ralph McCue since 2005. She is also a very talented photographer who specializes in portraits and weddings. She recently released her first photography book titled, “Naked & Wild.”
He met Mikio when he was 15 years old.
Before becoming The Karate Kid, Macchio met the love of his life in an unlikely place: his grandmother’s basement. Fierro was a guest at Macchio’s cousin’s birthday party, where the two met and immediately hit it off. The couple grew up in neighboring towns on Long Island.
“It’s the 1970s or something, so it’s Cheez Doodles, 7 Up, Tootsie Rolls, maybe ruffles with onion dip,” Macchio said of the party where they met. “She was my cousin’s friend, and we’d just smile and talk and dance a little. Maybe hustle!”
“The first time I looked into those big, deep brown eyes, I felt a natural bond,” Farrow told PEOPLE in 2009.
She and Macio were married in 1987.
Less than a year after the release of The Karate Kid II, Macchio and Farrow married in August 1987.
“I would have to say my wife is my best friend,” McCue said in a 1992 interview with John Tisch on One-on-One. “There’s no doubt about it.”
He continued, “There’s just no one else I can’t think of wanting to be with. From the very beginning, I just knew that this was the woman I wanted to marry and be with.” Want to live? It’s weird, but it’s true.”
McCue also revealed that he popped the question on Valentine’s Day.
Together for nearly four decades now, the Macchios credit their enduring marriage to their “commitment” to each other. “It’s the belief that through the easy times, through the hard times, whatever we face, that we’re meant to be together,” he told People in 2021. “We know that we will overcome all because we believe in this, the basis that”
He and Mikio share two children.
The couple’s first child, Julia Macchio, was born in 1992. In 1996, they became a family of four with the birth of their son, Daniel Macchio. The family lives on Long Island, where both Macchio and Farrow grew up.
Julia, an aspiring actress, joined her father in season 4 of Cobra Kai and played Vanessa, the cousin of Macchio’s character Danielle Larso. The father-daughter duo spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about their experience sharing the screen together in 2022.
“He knocked it out of the park,” Maccio said. “I was the proud father on set that day. As soon as he did our first take, everyone was like, ‘Holy crap, he’s got this role.’ ”
Daniel works as a composer, and in his free time, he enjoys attending New York Islanders and New York Mets games.
He is also very close to his family, often posting photos with them on Instagram. On her mother’s birthday in 2020, she posted a picture with Farrow. “Happy birthday to the best mom ever! I love you until the numbers stop! ☺️❤️.”
She’s a nurse practitioner
Farrow has worked as a nurse practitioner for years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, Julia shared a photo of herself and her mother on Instagram, praising Farrow and other healthcare workers in the caption. “My mom is a nurse practitioner. Basically, her job is to make her patients and their loved ones as comfortable as possible during some very uncomfortable times,” she wrote. “She is my hero just for being my mother and I know she has been (and will be) a hero to many through her boundless compassion. I’m not just for her, but for working with her. Wale wanted to express his heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of them. They teach us that kindness, dedication, selflessness, and compassion are superpowers.”
“She’s the hero of the family that’s for sure,” Macchio said of his wife during a 2021 virtual appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.
Danielle also shared her gratitude for Farrow in an Instagram post for Mother’s Day. “Happy Mother’s Day to the best mom out there!” he wrote. “Love you so much and proud to be working on the front lines ❤️.”
She convinced Macchio to adopt their dog Oliver
When the Macchio family lost their family dog, a Shih Tzu named Ginger, Macchio wasn’t sure if he could have another dog.
“My kids spent their entire childhood with this dog,” she told People of Ginger. “So when she passed away, it was brutal.”
But then, Farrow sent her a photo of a Yorkshire terrier from a local rescue shelter, and her tune changed.
“I said, ‘OK, let’s get more information,’ ” he recalled. “She brought me back there, and when he came out he started licking me and looking me in the eye. There was an instant connection.”
The family adopted Oliver, and Maccio said he feels like he’s “lucky” with his dog’s gentle nature. “If anything, he’s a little needy,” McCue joked to PEOPLE.
Although The Outsiders actor had never adopted an animal from a rescue shelter before, Macchio said he had been “transformed” since forming a special bond with Oliver.
“There are thousands, if not more, of them, so the concept of saving feels good, and as a family, it feels like a positive thing,” she said. “It feels good to give this man a happy home.”
