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===Casting=== A number of actors were considered for the part of Daniel, including [[Sean Penn]],<ref name=making>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thethings.com/karate-kid-details-behind-the-making-of/ |title=20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of The Karate Kid|access-date=August 8, 2019 |last=Hodges |first=Christopher |date=July 30, 2019 |magazine=thethings.com|archive-date=August 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808151544/https://www.thethings.com/karate-kid-details-behind-the-making-of/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Robert Downey Jr.]], [[Charlie Sheen]], [[Jon Cryer]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rowles |first=Dustin |url=https://uproxx.com/tv/ralph-macchio-the-karate-kid-jon-cryer-nic-cage-karate-kid-robert-downey-jr/ |title=Ralph Macchio Opens up About the A-Listers He Beat Out for the Role of 'The Karate Kid' |date=February 1, 2021 |website=[[Uproxx]] |access-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref> [[Emilio Estevez]], [[Nicolas Cage]], [[Anthony Edwards (actor)|Anthony Edwards]], [[C. Thomas Howell]], [[Tom Cruise]], [[Eric Stoltz]] and [[D.B. Sweeney]].<ref name=oralhistory/> [[Ralph Macchio]] was ultimately cast on the strength of his performance as Johnny Cade in ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]'' (1983).<ref name=oralhistory/> Macchio has stated that his performance as Johnny influenced the development of Daniel LaRusso in ''The Karate Kid''.<ref name="varietycast">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-outsiders-oral-history-francis-ford-coppola-ralph-macchio-diane-lane-1202732109/ |title='The Outsiders' Stays Gold at 35: Inside Coppola's Crafty Methods and Stars' Crazy Pranks |last=King |first=Susan |date=March 23, 2018 |publisher=Variety|access-date=November 9, 2019|archive-date=September 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928172941/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-outsiders-oral-history-francis-ford-coppola-ralph-macchio-diane-lane-1202732109/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="rs">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/ralph-macchio-interview-cobra-kai-season-2-karate-kid-825860/ |title=Ralph Macchio on 'Cobra Kai' and the Legend of 'The Karate Kid' |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=April 23, 2019 |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=November 8, 2019|archive-date=May 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518190548/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/ralph-macchio-interview-cobra-kai-season-2-karate-kid-825860/|url-status=live}}</ref> Macchio later commented that the character was originally named Danny Weber, but was later changed to LaRusso.<ref name="oralhistory" /> The studio originally wanted the role of Mr. Miyagi to be played by [[Toshiro Mifune]], who had appeared in the [[Akira Kurosawa]] films ''[[Rashomon]]'' (1950), ''[[Seven Samurai]]'' (1954), and ''[[The Hidden Fortress]]'' (1958), but the actor did not speak English.<ref name="oralhistory" /> [[Pat Morita]] later auditioned for the role but was rejected for the part due to his close association with stand-up comedy and with his character Arnold on the sitcom ''[[Happy Days]]''.<ref name="oralhistory" /> Afterwards, Morita grew a beard and patterned his accent after his uncle, which led to him being cast in the role.<ref name="peopleobit">{{cite magazine |url=https://people.com/archive/pat-morita-1932-2005-vol-64-no-24/ |title=Pat Morita: 1932β2005|access-date=May 13, 2019 |last=Lipton |first=Mike |date=December 12, 2004 |magazine=People Magazine|archive-date=May 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513202252/https://people.com/archive/pat-morita-1932-2005-vol-64-no-24/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Crispin Glover]] was considered for the role of Johnny, but the studio later opted for [[William Zabka]]. After his audition, Zabka saw Macchio, who noted that Zabka scared him during his audition to the studio.<ref name=oralhistory/> When he was cast, Zabka was a wrestler with no previous training in karate.<ref name=making/><ref name=zabinterview>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.avclub.com/william-zabka-1798220407 |title=William Zabka|access-date=November 10, 2019 |last=O'Neal |first=Sean |date=June 8, 2010 |magazine=[[The A.V. Club]]|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115221349/https://film.avclub.com/william-zabka-1798220407|url-status=live}}</ref> Zabka later recalled his audition, saying he was told to act out a scene from the script, while wearing a headband. He walked up to and grabbed John Avildsen, and said "Watch your mouth asshole!" He then exited the room and came back in, took his headband off and said that it was Johnny, not Billy. Avildsen then asked him about his age, and his height when compared to karate kid. Zabka responded, "[[Bruce Lee]] was smaller than [[Kareem Abdul Jabbar]], but he beat him" in reference to ''[[Game of Death]]'', to which Avildsen confirmed it. Avildsen was then convinced to cast Zabka for the role.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Perri |title='Cobra Kai's William Zabka Teases Interest in Directing an Episode, Revisits Working on 'How I Met Your Mother' and More |url=https://collider.com/cobra-kai-season-4-william-zabka-interview-how-i-met-your-mother/ |access-date=22 February 2022 |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=2 June 2021}}</ref> [[Helen Hunt]] and [[Demi Moore]] were also considered for the role of Ali, but [[Elisabeth Shue]] was cast based partly on a ''Burger King'' commercial that became widely popular in the early 1980s. The film marks the debut roles of both Zabka and Shue.<ref name=oralhistory/> Late in production, [[Valerie Harper]] was considered for the role of Lucille, but the studio later instated [[Randee Heller]] for the role.<ref name=oralhistory/>
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