Pat Morita
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005)<ref name=NYTimesObit>Template:Citation</ref> was an American actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming known to television audiences for his recurring role as diner owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the sitcom series Happy Days (1975–83). He was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of martial arts mentor Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which would be the first of a media franchise in which Morita was the central player.
Morita was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead. He also played recurring or featured roles as Captain Sam Pak on M*A*S*H, Ah Chew in Sanford and Son, and Mike Woo on The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. He was the voice of The Emperor of China in the Disney animated film Mulan (1998), and its sequel Mulan II (2004).
Aside from his 1985 Oscar nod, Pat Morita was twice nominated for Golden Globe Awards (Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for The Karate Kid and Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for the made-for-television film Amos), and an Emmy Award. In 1994, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2015, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Early lifeEdit
Morita was born on June 28, 1932, in Isleton, California, to Japanese immigrant parents.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Morita's father, Tamaru, born in 1897, immigrated to California from Kumamoto Prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu in 1915.<ref name=tamaru>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tamaru's wife, Momoe, born in 1903, immigrated to California in 1913.<ref name=momoe>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Noriyuki, as Pat was named, had a brother named Hideo (Harry) who was twelve years older.<ref name="Pat Morita Interview">Template:Cite video</ref><ref name=hideo>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Morita developed spinal tuberculosis (Pott disease) at the age of two and spent the bulk of the next nine years in the Weimar Institute in Weimar, California, and later at the Shriners Hospital in San Francisco.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For long periods, he was wrapped in a full-body cast, and he was told that he would never walk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During his time at a sanatorium near Sacramento, Morita befriended a visiting priest who would often joke that, if Morita ever converted to Catholicism, the priest would rename him to "Patrick Aloysius Ignatius Xavier Noriyuki Morita."<ref name="name change">Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:CitationTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Released from the hospital at age 11 after undergoing extensive spinal surgery and learning how to walk, Morita was transported from the hospital directly to the Gila River camp in Arizona to join his interned family.<ref name=thurber>Template:Citation</ref> After about a year and a half, he was transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center.<ref name="Pat Morita Interview2">Template:Cite video</ref>
After World War II ended, Morita moved back to the Bay Area and he graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield, California, in 1949. For a time after the war, the family operated Ariake Chop Suey, a restaurant in Sacramento, California,<ref name=PMoritaResident-LegacyObit>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}*a "After the war, Morita's family tried to repair their finances by operating a Sacramento restaurant. It was there that Morita first tried his comedy on patrons." — ¶ 11.</ref> jokingly described by Morita years later as "a Japanese family running a Chinese restaurant in a black neighborhood with a clientele of blacks, Filipinos and everybody else who didn't fit in any of the other neighborhoods".<ref name = "Morita">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Morita would entertain customers with jokes and serve as master of ceremonies for group dinners.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After Morita's father was killed in 1956 in a hit-and-run while walking home from an all-night movie, Morita and his mother kept the restaurant going for another three or four years. Needing a regular job to support his wife and a newly born child, Morita became a data processor in the early 1960s with the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies, graduating to a graveyard shift job at Aerojet General. In due time, he was a department head at another aerospace firm, Lockheed, handling the liaison between the engineers and the programmers who were mapping out lunar eclipses for Polaris and Titan missile projects.<ref name = "Morita"/>
However, Morita suffered from occupational burnout and decided to quit his job and try show business.<ref name = "Morita"/> He began working as a stand-up comedian at small clubs in Sacramento as well as San Francisco, taking the stage name "Pat Morita," in part due to the presence of comedians including Pat Henry and Pat Cooper, in addition due to memories of the priest he had befriended as a boy.<ref name="name change" /> Morita struggled for many years in comedy, until fellow performer—ventriloquist Hank Garcia—told him to try his luck in Los Angeles.<ref name = "Morita"/> Sally Marr, Lenny Bruce's mother, acted as his agent and manager after he moved to Los Angeles, and booked him in the San Fernando Valley and at the Horn nightclub in Santa Monica. Morita sometimes worked as the opening act for singers Vic Damone and Connie Stevens and for his mentor, the comedian Redd Foxx.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:CitationTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Morita used the nickname "The Hip Nip".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Television and movie careerEdit
Early workEdit
Morita's first movie roles were as a henchman in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and a similar role in The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), starring Don Knotts. Rowan and Martin's Laugh In (1968 Season 1 Episode 9) Morita had appearances in different skits on the show. He also appeared in the 4th episode of the 1st season of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series). Morita had other notable recurring television roles on Sanford and Son (1974–1976) as Ah Chew, a good-natured friend of Lamont Sanford, and as South Korean Army Captain Sam Pak on the sitcom M*A*S*H (1973, 1974).<ref name=MSNBC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also cast as Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka in the war film Midway (1976).
Happy DaysEdit
Morita had a recurring role in the mid-1970s on Happy Days as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi (the new Japanese owner of Arnold's Drive-In) commencing in season three (1975–76). The story line was that Takahashi had purchased the Milwaukee eatery from the original Arnold but adopted the former's first name, explaining that it was too expensive for him to purchase the additional neon sign letters required to rename it "Takahashi's". As the new owner, he moonlighted as a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense classes at the drive-in after hours. Morita also portrayed "Arnold" as a guest star during seasons four and six before returning as a recurring character for season ten (1982–83) and as a guest star in the final eleventh season. He also portrayed the character of Arnold on Blansky's Beauties in 1977.
The Karate Kid film seriesEdit
Morita gained particular fame during the 1980s for his work as Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid films. The original preferred choice was Toshiro Mifune, who had appeared in the Akira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), and The Hidden Fortress (1958), but the actor did not speak English.<ref name=oralhistory>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Morita later auditioned for the role, but was initially rejected for the part due to his close association with stand-up comedy, and with the character Arnold from Happy Days.<ref name="oralhistory" /> Producer Jerry Weintraub in particular did not want Morita, as he saw him as a comedic actor.<ref name=five/> Morita eventually tested five times before Weintraub himself offered him the role,<ref name=five>Template:Cite news</ref> ultimately winning it because he grew a beard and patterned his accent after his uncle.<ref name="peopleobit">Template:Cite magazine</ref> After he was cast and although he had been using the name Pat for years, Weintraub suggested that he be billed with his given name to sound "more ethnic".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the first film, The Karate Kid (1984), Morita was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a corresponding Golden Globe Award, for his role as the wise karate teacher Mr. Miyagi who taught bullied teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) the art of Goju-ryu karate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was recognized as Noriyuki "Pat" Morita at the 57th Academy Awards ceremony.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref> He reprised the role two more times with Macchio in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). From 1989-90, he voiced Mr. Miyagi in the animated series, The Karate Kid, narrating the plot of each episode before the opening. In 1994, he starred in The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank (as bullied teenager Julie Pierce) instead of Macchio.
Television seriesEdit
Morita was the star of two television series. In 1976, he starred as inventor Taro Takahashi in his own show, Mr. T and Tina, the first Asian-American sitcom on network TV. The sitcom was placed on Saturday nights by ABC and was quickly canceled after a month in the fall of 1976. He also starred in the ABC detective show Ohara (1987–1988); it was cancelled after two seasons due to poor ratings.
Later workEdit
Morita went on to play Tommy Tanaka in the Kirk Douglas-starring television movie Amos, receiving his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination and second Golden Globe Award nomination for the role.
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He wrote and starred in the World War II romance film Captive Hearts (1987). He hosted the educational home video series Britannica's Tales Around the World (1990–1991). He made an appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1994 Season 5 episode “Love Hurts”. He also made a guest appearance on a 1996 episode of Married... with Children. Later in his career he starred on the Nickelodeon television series The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (1996–1998), and had a recurring role on the sitcom The Hughleys (2000). He went on to star in the short film Talk To Taka as a sushi chef who doles out advice to anyone who will hear him. He voiced the Emperor of China in Disney's 36th animated feature Mulan (1998) and reprised the role in Mulan II (2004), a direct-to-video sequel and Kingdom Hearts II.<ref>Template:Cite news </ref> He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
He spoofed his role as "Mr. Miyagi" in a series of commercials for Colgate toothpaste; he portrayed the white-clad Wisdom Tooth, hailing Colgate as "The Wise Choice". He also co-starred with Ichiro Suzuki in a 1996 Nissan commercial aired in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>
He had a cameo appearance in the 2001 Alien Ant Farm music video "Movies". His appearance in the video spoofed his role in The Karate Kid. In 2002, he made a guest appearance on an episode of Spy TV. In 2003, he had a cameo on an episode of the sitcom Yes, Dear, as an unnamed karate teacher, potentially being Miyagi. He would also reprise his role (to an extent) in the stop-motion animated series Robot Chicken in 2005.
DeathEdit
Pat Morita died of kidney failure, following a urinary tract and gallbladder bacterial infection, on November 24, 2005, at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 73. He was cremated at Palm Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Posthumous creditsEdit
Roles created prior to his death were included in a few posthumous works. He voiced Master Udon in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Karate Island" (the episode was dedicated to his memory). He had a role in the independent feature film Only the Brave (2006), about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, where he plays the father of lead actor (and director) Lane Nishikawa (the film included two other Karate Kid stars, Yuji Okumoto and Tamlyn Tomita).<ref name=meet>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also had roles in Act Your Age (2011), Royal Kill (2009), and Remove All Obstacles (2010).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The fifth episode of the Netflix series Cobra Kai was dedicated in his memory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In-universe, Mr. Miyagi died on November 15, 2011, but is frequently referenced via archive footage from the original films.
Morita's contributions to cinema and his legacy have been the subject of two documentaries including Pat Morita: Long Story Short and More than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story in which he appeared in archival footage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
FilmographyEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Car Thieves | Komugi | Credited as Noriyuki Morita | |
| 1967 | Thoroughly Modern Millie | Bun Foo / Oriental No. 2 | ||
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West | Wong | ||
| 1971 | Green Acres | Charlie Lee | Episode: "Hawaiian Honeymoon" | |
| 1972 | Evil Roy Slade | Turhan | Television film | |
| Columbo | Houseboy | Episode: "Etude in Black" | ||
| Every Little Crook and Nanny | Nonaka | |||
| Where Does It Hurt? | Nishimoto | |||
| Cancel My Reservation | Yamamoto | |||
| The Odd Couple | Mr. Wing | Episode: "Partner's Investment" | ||
| The Bob Newhart Show | The Bartender | Episode: "Bob and Emily and Howard and Carol and Jerry" | ||
| 1973 | Hawaii Five-O | Phoebe | Episode: "Tricks Are Not Treats" | |
| 1973-1974 | M*A*S*H | Captain Sam Pak | Episode: "Deal Me Out" Episode: "The Chosen People" | |
| 1974 | Cannon | Chuck Yamagata | Episode: "The Avenger" | |
| Punch and Jody | Takahasi | Television film | ||
| 1974-1976 | Sanford and Son | Ah Chew | 7 episodes | |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? | Heshy Yamamoto | ||
| Kung Fu | Chan | Episode: "Ambush" | ||
| 1975-1983 | Happy Days | Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi | 26 episodes | |
| 1976 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Mr. Takahashi | Episode: "Career Day" | |
| Mr. T and Tina | 5 episodes | |||
| Farewell to Manzanar | Zenahiro | Television film | ||
| Midway | Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka | |||
| 1977 | Blansky's Beauties | Arnold | 13 episodes | |
| 1977-1987 | The Love Boat | Vincent Mr. Yamashiro |
Episode: "The Old Man and the Runaway" Episode: "Pacific Princess Overtures" | |
| 1978 | Man from Atlantis | Moby | Episode: "Imp" | |
| The Incredible Hulk | Fred | Episode: "Stop the Presses" | ||
| 1980 | Hito Hata: Raise the Banner | Yamada | ||
| When Time Ran Out | Sam | |||
| 1981 | Full Moon High | The Silversmith | ||
| 1982 | Savannah Smiles | Father OHara | ||
| Jimmy the Kid | Maurice | |||
| Slapstick of Another Kind | Chinese Ambassador Ah Fong | |||
| 1983 | The Daltons on the Loose | Jolly Jumper | English American version | |
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Mr. Miyagi | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| Night Patrol | Rape Victim | |||
| 1985 | Alice in Wonderland | The Horse | Episode: "Part 2 - Through the Looking-Glass" | |
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Mr. Miyagi | ||
| Babes In Toyland | The Toymaster | Television film | ||
| 1987 | Captive Hearts | Fukushima | ||
| 1987-1988 | Ohara | Lieutenant Ohara | ||
| 1988 | Big Bird in Japan | "Bamboo Princess" Play Narrator | Voice | |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid Part III | Mr. Miyagi | Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor | |
| The Karate Kid | Opening narration; 12 episodes | |||
| Collision Course | Inspector Fujitsuka Natsuo | |||
| 1990 | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Yoodo Toda | Television film | |
| 1991 | Strawberry Road | Old Man's Brother | ||
| Harry and the Hendersons | Kenji Sahuara | Episode: "The Bigfoot Who Ate Seattle" | ||
| Do or Die | Masakana "Kane" Kaneshiro | |||
| Lena's Holiday | Fred | |||
| Goodbye Paradise | Ben | |||
| 1992 | Choose Your Own Adventure: The Case of the Silk King | Template:Unknown | ABC Weekend Special | |
| Honeymoon in Vegas | Mahi Mahi | |||
| Miracle Beach | Gus | |||
| Auntie Lee's Meat Pies | Chief Koal | |||
| Genghis Khan | Emperor Wang | |||
| 1993 | American Ninja V | Master Tetsu | ||
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | The Chink | |||
| Living and Working in Space | Cap | |||
| Space Rangers | Nazzer | |||
| 1994 | Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
English version |
| The Next Karate Kid | Keisuke Miyagi | |||
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Mr. Yoshi | Episode: "Love Hurts" | ||
| 1995 | Timemaster | Isaiah | ||
| The Misery Brothers | Judge | |||
| Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah | Himself | |||
| 1996 | Murder, She Wrote | Akira Hitaki | Episode: "Kendo Killing" | |
| Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite | David Leung | |||
| Boy Meets World | Wise Man | Episode: "I Was a Teenage Spy" | ||
| Spy Hard | Brian, Waiter In Restaurant | |||
| Reggie's Prayer | Principal | |||
| Bloodsport III | David Leung | |||
| Earth Minus Zero | Dr. Mobius Jefferson | |||
| Married... with Children | Mr. Shimakawa | Episode: "Turning Japanese" | ||
| 1996-1998 | The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo | Michael "Mike" Woo | 29 episodes | |
| 1997 | Captured Alive | Sam Kashawahara | ||
| Beyond Barbed Wire | Narrator | Documentary | ||
| 1998 | Family Matters | Mr. Tanaka | Episode: "Grill of My Dreams" | |
| The Outer Limits | Dr. Michael Chen | Episode: "In the Zone" | ||
| Diagnosis: Murder | Martin Gaylord | Episode: “
"Food Fight" | ||
| Mulan | The Emperor of China | Voice | ||
| 1999 | King Cobra | Nick Hashimoto | ||
| Inferno | Jubal Early | |||
| Los Gringos | The Samurai | Short film | ||
| 2000 | Brother | Guy At The Poker Table | Uncredited | |
| Talk to Taka | Taka | Short film | ||
| I'll Remember April | Abe Tanaka | |||
| Hammerlock | Un Huong Lo | |||
| Diamonds in the Rough: The Legacy of Japanese American Baseball | Narrator | NBRP Documentary | ||
| 2001 | Son of the Beach | The King | Episode: "B.J. Blue Hawaii" | |
| Baywatch | Hideki Tanaka | Recurring role as the father of Kekoa Tanaka | ||
| House of Luk | Kwang Luk | |||
| The Boys of Sunset Ridge | Charlie Watanabe | |||
| The Center of the World | Taxi Driver | |||
| Shadow Fury | Dr. Oh | |||
| Hwasango | Vice Principal Jang Hak-Sa | English American version | ||
| 2002 | The Stone man | Professor Stevens | ||
| The Biggest Fan | Richard Limp | |||
| 2003 | High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story | Mr. Leo | ||
| Yes, Dear | Karate Teacher | Episode: "When Jimmy met Greggy" | ||
| 2004 | Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls | Himself | Cameo | |
| Elvis Has Left the Building | Man In Turban | |||
| Mulan II | The Emperor of China | Voice direct-to-video | ||
| The Karate Dog | Chin Li | Television film | ||
| 2005 | Robot Chicken | Himself | Voice Episode: "S&M Present" | |
| Down and Derby | Ono Yakimoto | |||
| American Fusion | Lao Dong | |||
| 2006 | Spymate | Kiro | Filmed in 2003 Released posthumously | |
| Only the Brave | Seigo Takata | Released posthumously | ||
| The Number One Girl | Mr. Sakata | Released posthumously | ||
| 18 Fingers of Death! | Freeman Lee | Released posthumously | ||
| SpongeBob SquarePants | Master Udon | Voice Episode: "Karate Island Dedicated to his memory Released posthumously | ||
| Kingdom Hearts II | The Emperor of China | Voice Released posthumously | ||
| 2009 | Royal Kill | Exhibition Manager | Last acting role Released posthumously | |
| 2010 | Remove All Obstacles | The Guru | Short film Released posthumously | |
| Interviews of Ninja's Creed | Interviewee | Documentary | ||
| 2011 | Act Your Age | Tom | Released posthumously | |
| 2013 | Blunt Movie | Mr. Miyami | Released posthumously | |
| 2014 | Rice Girl | Peter Ong | Final film role Released posthumously | |
| 2015 | The Real Miyagi | Interviewee | Documentary | |
| 2018-2025 | Cobra Kai | Mr. Miyagi | Archival footage Released posthumously | |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Pat Morita: Long Story Short | Manuscript Writer and interviewee | Documentary |
| 2021 | More than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story | Archival footage and interviewee Released posthumously | ||
| 2025 | Karate Kid: Legends | Mr. Miyagi | Archival footage from The Karate Kid Part II (1986); released posthumously |
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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- George Takei and Pat Morita’s Harrowing Childhood Experiences in Japanese American Internment Camps - Biography Channel, May 4, 2021.
- Ralph Macchio on His Friend and 'Karate Kid' Costar Pat Morita: His Legacy 'Shines Brighter Than Ever' - People, November 6, 2022
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