Ralph Macchio ‘Had ‘Conversations’ About Spinoff (Exclusive) ArticlePure

If a My Cousin Vinny reboot ever happens, Ralph Macchio is in!

The 63-year-old Cobra Kai actor — who starred in the 1992 dramedy as Bill Gambini, the teen cousin of titular lawyer Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci) — has “had conversations” about a sequel to the beloved cult classic, he told PEOPLE at PaleyFest on Saturday, March 22.

When the topic of a Vinny reboot cropped up on the red carpet at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, Macchio said, “Yeah, I’ve had conversations with other writers about that.”

“Yeah, that one’s a beloved piece,” he added of the film. “It’s about finding the smart angle in.”

Macchio acknowledged that Pesci, 82, would have to be involved in some way — even if it’s a smaller role than he had in the original movie.

“He could FaceTime it in here,” he suggested of the Home Alone alum.

My Cousin Vinny follows the perpetually anxious Vinny (Pesci), a big-city lawyer who has never won a case, as he helps Bill (Macchio) and his friend Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) out of a tough spot after they are accused of murder in a small Alabama town.

The endlessly quotable flick also stars Marisa Tomei, whose portrayal of Vinny’s fiancée Mona Lisa Vito earned her Best Supporting Actress at the 1993 Oscars.

If a My Cousin Vinny spinoff is in the stars, it won’t be Macchio’s first reprisal rodeo. The actor is no stranger to reprising his iconic roles, having played Daniel LaRusso in four Karate Kid films, plus its popular sequel series, Cobra Kai.

Speaking about the Netflix show at PaleyFest, Macchio told PEOPLE that since it Corbra Kai ended in February after six seasons, fans have called its finale “one of the best endings ever.”

“It was really fan service and harkened back to the great ’80s movies. It felt like a big fat, ’80s movie,” he said of the show’s emotional goodbye. “You’re hugging the stranger next to you, just getting a little misty-eyed and a lot of F-yeah moments, and so we miss those in movies these days.”

“So it was nice the guys were able to do that honestly and earnestly,” Macchio added.

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The former child actor also reflected on his late Karate Kid costar Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, who famously portrayed Macchio’s onscreen mentor Mr. Miyagi (“Wax on, wax off!”) and who was honored with a reunion of sorts as Cobra Kai wrapped.

When asked what he thinks Morita, who died in 2005, would think of the expanded Karate Kid universe — or “Miyagi-verse,” as the Cobra Kai showrunners have dubbed it — Macchio said he’d be nothing but supportive.

“I think he’d be the first one buying the popcorn and inviting everyone over. I really do,” the actor said. “I think we’ve respectfully kept the legacy alive and always paid homage to his character because honestly, and I’ve said it probably a million times, we’re not here today without him. We’re not.”