'Cobra Kai' Star Ralph Macchio Reveals Age-Defying Secret

With Cobra Kai's third season landing on Netflix on Friday, viewers are spending a considerable amount of time watching the fan-favorite series on large HD TVs. The picture clarity provides a new look at star Ralph Macchio and prompts comments about how he "looks good for his age." Now the star of The Karate Kid has revealed his age-defying secret.

Speaking with PEOPLE, the 59-year-old actor provided some insight into his youthful appearance on the hit Netflix series. Part of him aging gracefully boils down to a healthy lifestyle, but that is not the only reason. He also says that his parents helped him out immensely. Specifically, they passed down some beneficial genes.

"Listen — I blame my parents," Macchio told the outlet. "They both look very young for their age. I have a youthful energy about me for some reason. A healthy lifestyle doesn't hurt. But I think I've just gotten lucky in the gene department."

As further evidence of his youthful appearance, Macchio actually played a teenager in 1984's The Karate Kid when he was a full-grown adult. He was 22 years old at the time. Fast-forward to 1992 and My Cousin Vinny. Macchio played a college student, but he was married with a child on the way.

Of course, Macchio did joke about the downside of looking forever young during his conversation with PEOPLE. He revealed that he is always getting recognized while out and about, which leads to some awkward interactions. Macchio joked that people are always trying to hand him chopsticks whenever there is a fly in a restaurant.

Jokes about flies aside, Macchio did tell PEOPLE that watching the series hit a new group of viewers has been really special. He said that the younger viewers spoke about Cobra Kai to their parents, which opened up another conversation about The Karate Kid. The cycle continued as more and more people learned to enjoy the story.

"Kids see the show and then tell their parents, 'Hey, you should check this out. It's really cool,'" Macchio said. "And the parents say, 'What are you talking about? That was our first date movie!' To go through the ebbs and flows of popularity for 36-plus years and now be in a place where parents, kids and even grandparents are sharing the same excitement is really special."

Fans of the original films, as well as the streaming series, will be able to enjoy even more Cobra Kai in the feature. They just don't know when it will land on Netflix. The youthful-looking Macchio doesn't have the answer at the moment. He said that they "have the green light" but that they are just waiting to know when filming will happen. He also said that they are getting in shape for the new slate of episodes.