Ralph Macchio revealed why he turned down the opportunity to be participate in Will Smith‘s The Karate Kid remake, starring his son Jaden, which came out in 2010.

Ahead of the release of his memoir, Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, the Cobra Kai star, 60, explained to Fox News Digital that he was never offered a ‘big role’ in the reboot, but told by Smith, 54, he could have ‘any involvement’ he wanted. 

‘He wanted me to feel comfortable with it going forward,’ the actor explained, before noting that it was a ‘jarring moment’ to learn the new version of the 1984 martial arts drama did not include any of the original cast.

Honest: Ralph Macchio revealed why he turned down the opportunity to be participate in Will Smith’s The Karate Kid remake, starring his son Jaden, which came out in 2010; seen in 2022

‘I spent 20 years trying to prove I’m not a kid anymore, and then when I heard they were remaking my biggest movie, all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Hey, why are they rushing everything!’ Macchio recalled in his book. 

Additionally, Macchio admitted to being ‘caught off guard’ when asked by a reporter about the remake, to which he said he ‘wished everyone good luck and success’ on the project. 

His quote about ‘hoping there would be more original content coming out of Hollywood soon,’ however led to public speculation that he did not approve of the flick. 

Not so welcoming: Ahead of the release of his memoir, Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, the Cobra Kai star, 60, explained he never offered a ‘big role’ in the reboot, but told by Smith, 54, he could have ‘any involvement’ he wanted (Will Smith seen in 2017)

‘He wanted me to feel comfortable with it going forward,’ the actor explained, before noting that it was a ‘jarring moment’ to learn the new version of the 1984 martial arts drama did not include any of the original cast; Jaden Smith pictured in 2010

Cobra Kai: Season 5 has Ralph Macchio and William Zabka return

This prompted Smith to offer to keep the door ‘open’ for him to be involved ‘in any way’ he wanted. 

‘I just said, ‘You know what, I’m going to stand back, be a fan and see what you guys come up with,’ Macchio said. ‘I think the legacy stands on its own, and I didn’t have any great desire to fit a square peg in a round hole if you will.’

He continued: ‘I just didn’t know enough about it and what they wanted to do for me to really participate. They reimagined it and made a film that turned out to be quite successful and fairly well-crafted. It did well, but only in my view, it enhanced the legacy of the original.’ 

‘I spent 20 years trying to prove I’m not a kid anymore, and then when I heard they were remaking my biggest movie, all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Hey, why are they rushing everything!’ Macchio recalled in his book

In 2019, Macchio revealed he beat Smith for a role in My Cousin Vinny during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 

As he recalled Smith calling him to walk about The Karate Kid remake, he mused that his opening line was: ‘The last time I saw you was when we auditioned for My Cousin Vinny… That’s the first and last time I got the part and you didn’t.’ 

He concluded: ‘We had fun.’ 

Ralph Macchio and William Zabka star in 1984’s The Karate Kid

Lots of chance encounters: In 2019, Macchio revealed he beat Smith for a role in My Cousin Vinny during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter; seen in 1984