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

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“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

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