Ralph Macchio ( born November 4 , 1961 in Huntington , New York ) is an American actor . He is most notable for his roles in My Cousin Vinny , The Karate Kid , and The Karate Kid II . Ralph George Macchio ( Ë mÉ ` Ë tÊ i. oÊ ) ( born November 4 , 1961 ) is an American actor , best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series , Billy Gambini in My Cousin Vinny , and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders .