Ralph Macchio: I Won't Cameo in 'The Karate Kid' Remake!

Growing up, I begged my parents to let me take karate classes. Earning a black belt was way more important than scoring a Chanel one. And the reason I desperately desired the ultimate bad ass accessory was because of one man, Ralph Macchio.

His role as Daniel Larusso shaped the moral identity of an entire generation -- even today, I get a little choked up when I hear "you're the best, around, nothing's gunna ever keep you down." But while his childhood may be immortalized on film, his career has matured as Ralph has.

Now, as Congressman Archie Rodriguez, he tackles his first real weekly series -- something Ralph tells PopWrap he'd like to do more of. I caught up with the iconic actor to chat about his role on the ABC series and to find out what he really thinks about the upcoming "Karate Kid" remake.

PopWrap: Archie has been something of a mystery since day one. How much did you know about the role coming in?
Ralph Macchio: Well, I've never guest starred on a show before like this and it was interesting because Archie was in one scene, in one episode, with the potential for more. So it was kinda odd to build a back story for a character you don't know. Then they brought him back to pursue a relationship with Hilda and I'd learn more about him with each script.

PW: Has that been challenging in a fun or daunting way?
Ralph: Oh, fun! You're playing a character in a way that you think an actor shouldn't, but life isn't cut and dry -- so it's fun to be a bit in the dark.

PW: So now that Archie's back, what can fans expect to see tonight?
Ralph: Well, tonight Archie asks Hilda to go to the next level -- he wants her to get involved in a political campaign. Hilda gets excited in a very "what would Michelle Obama do" kind of way. It's so important that it go well to Hilda, but obviously it doesn't.

PW: So should we expect to see more Archie next season?
Ralph: You never know with a show like "Ugly Betty" if you're going to get driven over by a Zamboni or fall down an elevator shaft, but it's been so much fun. Although, by the end of this season, I haven't fallen down any elevator shafts, so it looks good!

PW: I am loving you and Ana Ortiz together on screen. What's it been like trying to navigate around her increasing baby bump?
Ralph: We're doing all we can to keep it under wraps. I always joke that I was only hired to hide her belly. I mean, she's seven months pregnant, so they're trying to shoot around her a lot, but she looks so beautiful.

PW: Is it strange sharing love scenes with a pregnant lady?
Ralph: Yeah, that was a first for me! I've been married for 22 years and pretending to be postcoital with a woman who's carrying a child that's not mine was brand spankin' new for me. We had one scene where Ana's on my lap and they're telling me to lean one way to cover her belly. My response was, "since you guys have me shirtless, can you just make sure my belly gets treated with the same respect as hers?"

PW: Coming into this, were you consciously looking to do a TV series?
Ralph: No, it just happened at the right time. Also, tonally, this show just seemed like the right fit. "Betty's" audience was probably 10-12 years old in 1984, when I had a couple of movies out, so there's been a warm response. As time goes on, projects like "The Karate Kid" resonate even more. I mean, I'll forever be attached to that role which I am grateful for. It's a piece of people's youth and it means something to them. To be a part of that is amazing.

PW: So, I have to ask, what are your thoughts on "The Karate Kid" remake?
Ralph: Well, I think the tallest order is filling the void of Mr. Miyagi. He's like a human Yoda and casting Jackie Chan was a smart move. So while you always want Hollywood to try and find original ideas, this is a story that will always work.

PW: So do you think it's all about reworking the original?
Ralph: Definitely. The original is so quintessentially '80s -- "wax on, wax off" is part of the American lexicon -- but fish out of water stories will work forever as long as they're well executed. I just think they need to find their own angle.

PW: Has Will Smith, who is producing the remake, reached out to you?
Ralph: Yeah, he called me because initially he thought I was slamming the remake, which I wasn't. Someone just asked me if I was pleased that fans were against the idea, which of course made me feel good. Why wouldn't it? But that got twisted and Will called me up and he's such a cool guy. He was like, "I know I'm messing with your baby but I want you to be happy, so we'll do anything you want."

PW: Did you chat with Jayden, who will star in the film?
Ralph: Yeah, Will put him on the phone and I talked to him for a bit. I still think they have a tough hurdle in front of them. I was happy to hear their goal wasn't to do a copycat version, but the movie still airs all the time. The reason "Ocean's 11" worked was because no one had seen the original in 30 years! "Karate Kid" was on ABC Family last week. It should be interesting to see what happens, but I don't know that we'll still be talking about the remake, or doing their version of the crane kick, in 20 years. Time will tell.

PW: Did they offer you a cameo?
Ralph: I told Will I wasn't interested in that. I'm pretty sure they're distancing themselves from the original and I don't want to do a drive-by cameo. If they wrote a role for me that made sense, I'd be open to that, but I don't think it makes sense to show Daniel as an adult since I think he represents so many people's childhoods. I think seeing him as a grown man could sully that legacy and I just want the film to be what it was.

PW: OK, so no Danielson -- do you think they could find a villain anywhere near as brilliant as Billy Zabka?
Ralph: Oh man, Billy Zabka is the ultimate '80s bad guy! Did you ever see his "Sweep The Leg" video? It's amazing!

PW: He kind of plays up his bad guy persona in that video. Why did you refrain from doing something similar for so long?
Ralph: I just had no interest in poking fun of my image. But when "Entourage" came up, it seemed perfect. Plus, I had been friends with Kevin Dillion for a long time -- since I worked with Matt Dillon in "The Outsiders," so it was a perfect match!

PW: Looking forward, would you like to do more television?
Ralph: Oh absolutely. As an actor, I've been out of the game for a bit. Some of it by design, some of it not. But being on "Betty" has given me a taste for it again and it relit a fire inside me. This is who I am, it's what I do and to be involved in a show that I can watch with my kids while working with amazing actors is like a cherry on top of the sundae.

"Ugly Betty" airs Thursday at 8 pm on ABC

Photo: WireImage; ABC; Columbia Pictures