'Dancing With the Stars' ' Karina Smirnoff on Ralph Macchio: 'I got lucky'

“Dancing With the Stars” gods, Karina Smirnoff is forever indebted for the gift that is Ralph Macchio.

“I got lucky,” Smirnoff said in a phone interview Friday. “Seriously, it’s like the gods said, ‘Karina, we give you Ralph.’ ”

The 49-year-old actor is the kind of present that doesn’t warrant a gift receipt, especially considering that his ability to pull off a whimsical fox trot helped the duo receive the highest score of the night, 24, on Monday.

“We were totally surprised,” Smirnoff said. “Couldn’t you tell by my reaction?” She’s talking, of course, of the hysterics she went into upon hearing each number being read.

And sure, she digs Macchio — “I don’t think there is a person on Earth who hasn’t watched ‘The Karate Kid,’ but I’m a huge Ralph fan because of ‘The Outsiders’ " — but she’s always looking ahead.

When asked who she’d like to see grace the hardwood floor of the hit ABC series, she pointed to “High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu (“I think he'd be a great dancer”) and a “Full House” alum and recent “Glee” visitor, John Stamos (“If he doesn’t take Charlie Sheen’s place on “Two and a Half Men,” I think he'd be a great addition”).

Wait. What about Sheen?

“Oh my God,” Smirnoff said. “Charlie Sheen is on the perfect road to being the next contestant on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ It’d be a perfect fit. We’d be ‘duh … winning.’ ”

Charlie, the ball is in your court.

— Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy

Related:

Complete coverage of "Dancing with the Stars" on ShowTracker

Photo: Dancer Karina Smirnoff at a film premiere in Los Angeles. Credit: Angela Weiss /Getty Images.

Comments

[Josephine Desimone]

HI RALPH Im writing to you to say i never vote for anyone and here comes RALPH MACCHIO THE great karate kid.RALPH MACCHIO from the outsiders crossroads my cousin vinny.I am useing my sons computer to write this to you . YOU HAVE MY FAMILY FROM long island staten island and middle village queens vote. AND THATS A LARGE italian family. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN YOUR A GOOD DANCER AND YOU ARE ADORABLE. MY SON WAS 15 WHEN HE FIRST SAW KARATE KID EVEN HE SAID YOU DIDNT AGE AT ALL. good luck.

[Josephine Desimone]

Hi Ralph you are getting better and better. I wrote to you at the begining of the show im the one with the big italian family. I GET A KICK OUT OF WATCHING YOU DANCE. Im glad your showing the real RALPH MACCHIO THE MOVIE STAR. YOU KNOW HOW TO MOVE THE LOWER PART OF YOUR BODY. Your a young man 49 today is 39. AND WEARING YOUR HAIR IN THE FRONT MAKES YOU LOOK YOUNGER DONT WEAR YOUR HAIR TO THE SIDE ANY MORE. WE WANT TO SEE THE REAL RALPH MACCHIO THE RALPH WE GREW UP WITH. GOOD LUCK.