Trivia: With his short slender build, large brown eyes, and abundant hair, actor Ralph Macchio has often appeared to be the perennial adolescent -- a fact that has sometimes hindered his career. The actor is best known for his work in the phenomenally popular Karate Kid (1984), in which the then twenty-two year old actor played a troubled 14-year-old boy who is helped by a sage karate instructor. Macchio has been in show business most of his life; born in Long Island, he began performing in local musical productions as a young teenager. At 16, he began working in TV commercials, and before he had even graduated from high school had appeared in the adolescent comedy Up the Academy (1980), though he did not appear in another film until working in Francis Ford Coppola's epic of teenage rivalry The Outsiders (1983). Following the Karate Kid, Macchio began working in a series of minor films, such as the successful My Cousin Vinny (1992). He continued to work on television and on stage, even after his teen heart-throb days were over, appearing on Broadway opposite Robert De Niro in 1986 in Cuba and His Teddy Bears. He also appeared in the next two Karate Kid sequels, along with films like Dangerous Company and Too Much Sun. In 2002, Macchio tried his hand at screenwriting and directing, both helming and penning the short film Love Thy Brother. In 2006, the actor took a comedic turn in the sports comedy Beer League. Macchio would remain active for years to come, appearing most notably on the popular series Ugly Betty.

Trivia: Character actor Daniel Kamekona specialized in playing villains in feature films and on television. He was in his 40s when he made his film debut in Goodbye Paradise (1982). He was memorable as Sato in The Karate Kid 2 (1986). Kamekona's television credits include Magnum P.I, Hawaii Five-O, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Trivia: Born in Okinawa, Japan, actress Tamlyn Tomita performed on-stage in Los Angeles before making her film debut in The Karate Kid Part II in 1986 as Ralph Macchio's love interest, Kumiko. Soap opera appearances and supporting roles followed, as well as a few made-for-TV movies about Hiroshima. In 1990, she gained some attention as Dennis Quaid's love interest in Alan Parker's WWII romance Come See the Paradise. In 1993, she was part of the excellent ensemble cast in the generation-gap drama The Joy Luck Club, based on the novel by Amy Tan. Other films include the Hawaiian-set romantic drama Picture Bride, the clever comedy drama Four Rooms, the horror thriller Killing Jar, and the independent relationship comedy Hundred Percent. On television, she found work in the sci-fi movie Babylon 5: The Gathering and landed reoccurring roles on The Burning Zone JAG, and 24. She also can be seen in Greg Pak's little-seen but critically praised digital video project Robot Stories and Roland Emmerich's 2004 sci-fi disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.

Trivia: Joey Miyashima has built up a long and impressive resumé over the course of his career, mostly through small but memorable roles, like Pee-Wee's Japanese pen pal Oki Doki on an episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse in 1988. In 2006, Miyashima became part of the High School Musical franchise, paying Principal Matsui in the first film, and then reprising the role for the third installment, High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

Trivia: Like many New York actors, Martin Kove was willing to go unbilled to pick up extra paychecks in such East Coast-filmed efforts as Little Murders (1971) and Last House on the Left (1972). By 1984, Kove was pulling down third billing in such films as The Karate Kid, wherein he played Kreese, the "bad" karate expert who trained the film's principal heavy William Zabka for his bout against the simon-pure Ralph Macchio (Kove replaced Chuck Norris, who turned down the role of Kreese because he didn't want karate trainers to be shown in an unsympathetic light). Martin Kove's work on series TV has included the roles of detective Victor Isbecki on Cagney and Lacey and an extraterrestrial named Jesse on Hard Time on Planet Earth.

Trivia: Supporting actor, onscreen from the '80s.

Trivia: Actor Chad McQueen typically plays leads in low-budget action films. He made his film debut in Hadley's Rebellion (1983) and played Dutch in the first two Karate Kid films. McQueen is the son of actress Neile Adams and actor Steve McQueen.

Trivia: Actor George O'Hanlon Jr. made his screen debut in the 1974 television movie Our Time and his feature-film debut in The Evil (1978). His father was a noted character actor.

Trivia: For his role in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly, talented stage and screen actor B.D. Wong (born Bradley Darryl Wong) would enter into history as the only actor ever to be honored with a Tony, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Clarence Derwent Award, and a Theater World Award for a single performance. Proving equally adept onscreen, Wong's memorable early roles in The Freshman (1990) and Father of the Bride (1991) found him simultaneously attempting to break out of the Asian-American cinema stereotype while seeking out roles that would expand his dramatic capabilities. A native of San Francisco whose musical experimentation during his childhood eventually lead to the discovery of acting, Wong's parents were consistently supportive in nurturing his creative energy. Wong worked his way into Bay Area community theater while still a student at Lincoln High School, and his association with the San Francisco Unified School District proved an essential component in developing his skills as an actor. Following his subsequent graduation from San Francisco State University Wong moved to New York City, where he performed in dinner theater and off-Broadway productions. After making his professional bow in a New York Town Hall production of Androcles and the Lion, Wong began to essay small television roles on such series as Simon & Simon and Sesame Street about the time of his feature debut in The Karate Kid II (1986). Soon thereafter, Wong received coaching from Donald Hotton to prepare for his role in M. Butterfly, and following much critical acclaim, Wong slowly gained onscreen momentum with roles in Jurassic Park (1993) and the HBO AIDS-drama And the Band Played On (both 1993). In his constant search to portray original and diverse characters, Wong had a recurring role as Father Ray Makuda on the HBO series Oz. Subsequent performances included roles in Seven Years in Tibet (1997), voice work in the animated Disney film Mulan (1998), and the crime thriller The Salton Sea (2002). Television viewers became acquainted with Wong through his role on Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit.

Trivia: Supporting actor, onscreen from the late '80s.

Trivia: Best known to audiences as Mr. Miyagi, Ralph Macchio's mentor in the "wax on, wax off" school of combat in the 1984 hit The Karate Kid, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita is the most prominent Japanese-American actor of his generation. Morita is also well known for having played Arnold, the amiable diner owner on the hit television series Happy Days, for two non-consecutive seasons (1975-1976 and 1982-1983). His status as one of the most familiar actors of Asian descent kept him working in a variety of projects throughout the 1980s and '90s.Having spent part of his youth in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, Morita nonetheless emerged with his sense of humor intact, giving up work as a computer programmer to concentrate on stand-up comedy in the early '60s. After a number of nightclub and TV variety show appearances, Morita found his first film role in 1967's Thoroughly Modern Millie as a stereotypical ethnic henchman. His natural affability soon began shining through, winning Morita his role on Happy Days for the 1975-1976 season. As Arnold, Morita interacted with Richie, Fonzie, and company with a memorable combination of good humor and exasperation. He returned to the gig in 1982-1983 after a failed attempt to front his own series (the critically lambasted Mr. T and Tina in 1976), a number of small film roles, and guest appearances on such shows as The Love Boat and Magnum P.I. His major pop culture breakthrough was the role of janitor and karate master Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. An eccentric tutor who at first appears to be using his student for an endless variety of household chores, Miyagi soon reveals the method behind his training, turning the scrawny Daniel (Macchio) into a confident fighter, while also instilling an important message that violence should remain a last resort. The exceedingly popular film made Morita a household name, and audiences were left with the indelible image of a jolly and wise old soul trying desperately to catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks. Morita reprised the role for the two sequels starring Macchio in (1986 and 1989), as well as The Next Karate Kid, which starred future Oscar winner Hilary Swank, in 1994.In the late '80s, Morita found the success that had previously eluded him in television solo efforts with the two-season detective series Ohara (1987-1989). In 1987, he also wrote and starred in the World War II romance Captive Hearts, a film about a pilot shot down over Japan who falls in love with a village woman. Morita plays the village elder who saves the young pilot from execution.Morita spent the 1990s continuing to work regularly as a character actor in both television and movies. His film roles included Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993,) and vocal work as the Emperor in Disney's Mulan (1998). He guest starred on such shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Diagnosis Murder, and The Hughleys, and had a recurring role as Mr. Tanaka on Baywatch.

Trivia: In 1998, won the Australian Raw Comedy competition. In 2004, her solo Edinburgh Fringe Festival was nominated for the Perrier Award. In 2008, was part of the cast of E4's female ensemble sketch show Beehive. In March 2017, wrote, produced and starred in her own BBC Radio 4 trilogy Sarah Kendall: Australian Trilogy. In 2019, created, wrote and starred in TV sitcom Frayed.

Trivia: Supporting actress, former ingenue, onscreen from 1986.

Trivia: Supporting actor, occasional lead Thomas Ian Griffith first appeared onscreen in the late '80s.