Ralph Macchio on the ending of Coldplay’s ‘Cobra Kai’ music video

Serendipity seems to be following Ralph Macchio – and recently brought him to Australia.

Back in October, Coldplay released the song “The Karate Kid,” and it’s exactly what you think it’s about, right down to the lyrics about “Daniel.” That, of course, is the name of the main character Macchio plays in three “The Karate Kid” films and six seasons of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.” After Macchio heard the tune, he shared it on social media – and that’s when Coldplay came up with a plan. Frontman Chris Martin asked Macchio to come to Australia, where they played a series of dates, and film the music video. The ruse included bringing the actor on stage to help perform “The Karate Kid.”

“It was just one of those whirlwind things,” says Macchio, who just returned from Down Under. “It’s just a beautiful circuit. I was surprised that he wrote the song, just from the movie, that meant so much to him. We certainly had an impact 41 years ago, at least for a young Chris Martin and Coldplay. It never ceases to amaze me the emotions and feelings that the original film still carries for decades.”

Macchio is about to have another one of those moments. As the final season of “Cobra Kai” releases its next five episodes this month (with five more to go), Macchio will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And his honor will be fittingly placed at the plaque for his late co-star Pat Morita, aka Mr. Miyagi.

“That’s just amazing at this point in my life,” Macchio says. The actor, at the young age of 63, is somehow ten years older than Morita in the original 1984 film. “It is only fitting that I will be associated with Miyagi until the end of time, and I couldn’t be more proud and honored with such a placement. I remember him saying that having a star on the Walk of Fame was probably the biggest highlight of his career, coming from humble beginnings. So I’ll be able to channel a little bit of the love he continues to pour into this ‘Karate Kid’ universe.”

It’s also a complete moment for Macchio, who remembers visiting the Walk of Fame as a teenager in the late 1970s when he moved to Hollywood from his native Long Island, New York, to give acting a shot.

“It was the land of hopes and dreams, and I remember walking down Hollywood Boulevard looking for Gene Kelly’s star,” Macchio says. “I wanted to be Gene Kelly ever since I remember. I always watched the old movie musicals with my mother. And so when I saw all these names like Clark Gable, who come from a lot of the movies and television shows that I grew up with, it never seemed feasible.

It wasn’t long before he had a regular role on ‘Eight Is Enough’. Then came his breakout role in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 feature film ‘The Outsiders’, followed a year later by that life-changing moment in ‘The Karate Kid’. That crane kick. Wax on, wax off. Daniel-san. All iconic pop culture moments that are forever linked to Macchio. “People remember where they saw ‘The Karate Kid,’” he says. “I am incredibly grateful and feel privileged to be blessed enough to bring joy to people through a character.”

He also appeared in the first two “Karate Kid” sequels and had a major role in 1992’s “My Cousin Vinny,” the Joe Pesci starrer that is in endless heavy rotation on basic cable. “I always call it the movie that comes late for dinner,” he says. “If it’s on, you’ll be late for dinner because you have another setup that’s paying off and you have to stick to the next one.”

But then came the lean years, which Macchio chronicled in his recent memoir, “Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me.” Macchio was inspired by the philosophy of one of his idols, Michael Caine, who talked about capitalizing on the difficulties you may face in acting and in life.

“I learned to do that,” he says. “There were some tough times career-wise and where I would have wanted to be. But those are also the years that I was here for my children at a very young age. It was perfect, especially with this big resurgence and tidal wave I’m going through right now. I almost couldn’t have written it better, because I enjoy it, and it just keeps on giving. I mean, the fans never let it go away.”

Indeed, Macchio never stopped working. In the 2000s, he had a recurring role on “Ugly Betty” and was given several opportunities to play versions of himself, most of which he turned down. But he embraced a few, including on HBO’s “Entourage.”

“If I could tell you how many times it was pitched, 90% of the time I would say no,” he says. “I went through a phase where I joked that my name was more famous than me. “Entourage” was my first time playing, so I was proud because it was a cool industry choice, and a pretty good episode too.

Then there was filmmaker Todd Holland’s Funny or Die parody “Wax On, F*ck Off,” which played with Macchio’s nice guy persona by trying to turn him into a Hollywood bad boy. “It was the perfect moment when people with bad behavior were rewarded, and I considered myself a good guy,” he says. “So how can I try to make myself more relevant to what works in Hollywood?

But the real foundation for “Cobra Kai” came when he and William Zabka guest-starred on “How I Met Your Mother” – in which Neil Patrick Harris’ character Barney wanted the hero of “The Karate Kid” at his party. When Macchio showed up, he was disappointed because he considered Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) to be the good guy.

That dynamic, of course, became the heart of “Cobra Kai,” a new take on the “Karate Kid” characters from Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. Around the time the series began development (originally at YouTube Originals), Macchio had landed a very different kind of role as a vice cop on HBO’s gritty drama “The Deuce.”

“He is everything you dream of when you think about meeting your heroes,” Hurwitz says. “He’s a nice person. He is a family man. It extends to how he carries himself on set as the No. 1 on the call sheet. He is a role model for a whole group of young actors on our show.”

Heald interjects, “When you meet him for the very first time, it’s easy to see that he’s one of the most authentic people you’ll ever meet. He is thoughtful as a performer and producer and now as a director, and in the way you want as a collaborator.”

As “Cobra Kai” ends, Macchio says the timing “just feels right” to “land it, but in a great way.” But this isn’t the end for Macchio as Daniel LaRusso. He will revive the character opposite Jackie Chan in “The Karate Kid: Legends,” set three years after the events of “Cobra Kai.”

“It wasn’t a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that moment, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse,” Macchio says. “Once we were able to put that together so that the ‘Cobra Kai’ story would lead into the new movie – even though they are separate ecosystems – it all made sense to me. Then working with Jackie was just super exciting. I started this on the big screen. How cool is it to get it back on the big screen?

As for the future, Macchio would like more control and hopes to help Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg create Mr. Miyagi original series to fruition. Additionally, he wants to explore other characters outside of the “Karate Kid” universe.

Will “The Karate Kid: Legends” mark his final bow as Daniel? “I don’t want to delay the reception of a character so beloved for too long,” he says. ‘But he’s getting older like me, so there may be other areas to explore. Never say never.”