Phyllis Fierro is a nurse practitioner who has worked on the front lines during the global COVID-19 pandemic. But, Fierro rose to fame as the long-time wife of the Hollywood legend Ralph Macchio who became a household name at 22 with his highly-acclaimed role as Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 smash-hit movie The Karate Kid. Over the years, the quintessential performer has worked in dozens of successful movies and TV shows.
But Ralph gives credit for all the success the actor gained during his acting tenure to his wife of three decades. One of the most enduring couples whose married life has spanned over three decades, a rarity in Hollywood is the proud parents of two kids also. Let’s find out what is the key to their long-time marriage.
Well, here are several unknown facts that you didn’t know about Ralph Maccio’s wife. Let’s begin!
Who is Phyllis Fierro? Her Age and Childhood
Fierro, a nurse practitioner is 61-year-old as of 2021. She was born in July 1960, in the United States of America. She has kept most part of her early life out of the media. In the meantime, Phyllis’ husband, who was born in November 1961 is sixteen months younger than her.
Her Ethnicity
Fierro is Caucasian as per her ethnicity and belongs to American nationality. On the other hand, her hubby Macchio, the Huntington, New York native has a mixed ethnical background as his father is of half-Italian and half-Greek descent while his mom has Italian ancestry.
Career: What does Phyllis Fierro do for a Living? Is Ralph Macchio’s wife a nurse?
Phyllis is a nurse practitioner. Her work is to make her patients and their loved ones as comfortable as it is possible during some of the most uncomfortable times. Her husband often expresses gratitude for his wife working on the front lines amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in early 2021, in an interview with The View along with his Cobra Kai costar William Zabka, Ralph briefly talked about his wife’s profession as a nurse practitioner, especially the actor who talked about the criticalness during a global pandemic.
Whoopi Goldberg, a co-host on The View initiated the interview, making some points about Macchio’s wife. The Academy Award-winning actress said,
“Before we talk about [Cobra Kai] I want to mention your amazing wife Phyllis. You’ve been married 33 years. She’s a nurse practitioner who’s been working during this crazy.”
He then disclosed that his wife received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine the day before the interview. He later also explained her responsibilities as,
“It’s tough, um, a lot of what she does is dealing with the families and, uh, palliative medicine. She’s a nurse practitioner and dealing with, um, that — that end of life scenario or how to manage, um, you know being apart and go through this. It is — it is hero work and I am so proud of her and — but she’s doing well. And we are — we are hanging in there.”
How did Phyllis And Ralph meet?
The two first came across when Ralph was 15 years of age and Phyllis was 16 at his cousin’s birthday party, which took place in his grandmother’s basement. He told People that Phyllis was invited to the party by his cousin as they both were friends. He recalled the birthday party, saying, “This is 1970 or whatever, so this is Cheez Doodles, 7Up, Tootsie Rolls, probably the Ruffles with onion dip.”
Phyllis with her hubby Ralph Macchio.Source: Getty Images
The actor added that Fierro, “we just smiled and talked and danced a little. Probably the Hustle!”
View this post on Instagram
Phyllis Fierro Married Her Husband Ralph In 1987: Their Wedding
Fierro and her husband Ralph have been together for over a half-century but when it comes to their married life, the duo is married since the late 1980s. The two tied the knot on 5th April 1987. According to online sources, Phyllis and her husband Ralph exchanged their vows at a low-key outdoor wedding ceremony. Their family members and close friends were only in attendance.
The couple has been married since 2008.Source: Pinterest
As for their enduring commitment, it’s been over three decades that the duo is in a marital relationship and their love and support still seem it’s never been stronger, thanks to their ability to overcome even the toughest of times.
In an aforementioned interview with People, Ralph said that his wife deserved all the credits of his prolific acting career,
“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. Because there would not be balance.”
The actor added,
“It’s the belief through the easy time, through the tough times, whatever we encounter, that we are meant to be together.”
He continued,
“We known that we will overcome all because we believe in that, the foundation of that.”
Phyllis Fierro is the Mother of two Children
Ralph Macchio’s wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter Julia in 1992. The two welcomed their second child, a son, Daniel Macchio in 1996. Both of their kids have shared the same career path as their father’s. Their young girl Julia is a dancer and actress. She appeared in projects like Girl Most Likely (2012) and Stella’s Last Weekend (2018).
Phyllis with her kids and spouse.Source: Instagram
On the other hand, their son Daniel is a composer and actor. He worked on From the Heart of the Crowd (2011) and The Wrecks (2012) as well.
The family of four previously lived in neighboring Long Island towns. They currently reside in East Hampton, New York.
Her Husband is an Actor
Born and raised in Huntington, NY, Ralph began his acting career with the role of Jeremy Andretti on the TV series Eight Is Enough in 1980. The same year, the actor went on to make a big-screen debut appearing in the movie Up the Academy. He subsequently appeared in several movies and TV shows like The Outsiders, Eight Is Enough, My Cousin Vinny, and more.
Macchio currently plays in Cobra Kai. He first joined the project back in 2018, playing the main role of Daniel LaRusso. He worked on the show until 2019 and made his comeback only in 2021.
Phyllis Fierro Net Worth
Her net worth is $200,000 as of 2023. Besides, her actor hubby Ralph has an estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2023. The duo currently resides in East Hampton, New York.
She Is A Dog Lover
Not many know but Phyllis is a huge dog lover. In fact, she even had a family dog named Ginger, a Shih Tzu. Unfortunately, she lost her dog about which she once talked in the media saying,
My kids’ whole childhood was with this dog. So when she passed away, it was brutal.
Later on, she again convinced Macchio to adopt another dog. She reportedly sent a photo of a Yorkshire terrier to Macchio, to which he agreed to adopt. Talking about this, he said,
I said, ‘OK, let’s find out more information. She brought me back there, and when he came out he started licking me and was looking right into my eyes. There was a connection immediately.
