Pat Morita | |
|---|---|
 Morita in 1971 | |
| Born | Noriyuki Morita (1932-06-28)June 28, 1932[1] Isleton, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 24, 2005(2005-11-24) (aged 73) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1962–2005 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Noriyuki "Pat"Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005)[1] was an American actor and comedian. He began his career as astand-up comedian, before becoming known to television audiences for his recurring role as diner owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the sitcom seriesHappy Days from 1975 to 1983. He was subsequently nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of martial arts mentorMr. Miyagi inThe Karate Kid (1984),[2] which would be the first of amedia franchise in which Morita was the central player.
Morita was the series lead actor in the television programMr. T and Tina and inOhara, a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with anAsian-American series lead. He also played recurring or featured roles as Captain Sam Pak onM*A*S*H, Ah Chew inSanford and Son, and Mike Woo onThe Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. He was the voice of The Emperor of China in theDisney animated filmMulan (1998), and its sequelMulan II (2004).
Aside from his 1985 Oscar nod, Pat Morita was twice nominated forGolden Globe Awards (Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture forThe Karate Kid andBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for the made-for-television filmAmos), and anEmmy Award. In 1994, he received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry.[3] In 2015, he was inducted into theMartial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.[4]
Morita was born on June 28, 1932, inIsleton, California, toJapanese immigrant parents.[5][6] Morita's father, Tamaru, born in 1897, immigrated to California fromKumamoto Prefecture on the Japanese island ofKyushu in 1915.[7] Tamaru's wife, Momoe, born in 1903, immigrated to California in 1913.[8] Noriyuki, as Pat was named, had a brother named Hideo (Harry) who was twelve years older.[9][10]
Morita developed spinaltuberculosis (Pott disease) at the age of two and spent the bulk of the next nine years in theWeimar Institute inWeimar, California, and later at theShriners Hospital inSan Francisco.[11] For long periods, he was wrapped in a full-body cast, and he was told that he would never walk.[12] 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."[13] 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 theGila River camp inArizona to join hisinterned family.[14] After about a year and a half, he was transferred to theTule Lake War Relocation Center.[15]
AfterWorld War II ended, Morita moved back to theBay Area and he graduated fromArmijo High School inFairfield, California, in 1949. For a time after the war, the family operated Ariake Chop Suey, a restaurant inSacramento, California,[16] 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".[17] Morita would entertain customers with jokes and serve asmaster of ceremonies for group dinners.[18] After Morita's father was killed in 1956 in ahit-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 adata processor in the early 1960s with theDepartment of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies, graduating to agraveyard shift job atAerojet 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 outlunar eclipses forPolaris andTitan missile projects.[17]
However, Morita suffered fromoccupational burnout and decided to quit his job and tryshow business.[17] He began working as astand-up comedian at small clubs in Sacramento as well asSan Francisco, taking thestage name "Pat Morita," in part due to the presence of comedians includingPat Henry andPat Cooper, in addition due to memories of the priest he had befriended as a boy.[13] Morita struggled for many years in comedy, until fellow performer—ventriloquist Hank Garcia—told him to try his luck inLos Angeles.[17]Sally Marr,Lenny Bruce's mother, acted as his agent and manager after he moved to Los Angeles, and booked him in theSan Fernando Valley and at the Horn nightclub inSanta Monica. Morita sometimes worked as the opening act for singersVic Damone andConnie Stevens and for his mentor, the comedianRedd Foxx.[19] Morita used the nickname "The Hip Nip."[20][21]
Morita's first movie roles were as a henchman inThoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and a similar role inThe Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), starringDon Knotts. He also appeared in the 4th episode of the 1st season ofThe Courtship of Eddie's Father. Morita had other notable recurring television roles onSanford and Son (1974–1976) as Ah Chew, a good-natured friend of Lamont Sanford, and as South Korean Army Captain Sam Pak on the sitcomM*A*S*H (1973, 1974).[22] He was also cast as Rear AdmiralRyunosuke Kusaka in thewar filmMidway (1976).
Morita had a recurring role in the mid-1970s onHappy Days as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi (the new Japanese owner of Arnold's Drive-In) starting 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 played "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 played the character of Arnold onBlansky's Beauties in 1977.
Morita gained particular fame during the 1980s for his work asMr. Miyagi in theKarate Kid films. The original preferred choice wasToshiro Mifune, who had appeared in theAkira Kurosawa filmsRashomon (1950),Seven Samurai (1954), andThe Hidden Fortress (1958), but the actor did not speak English.[23] 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 fromHappy Days.[23] ProducerJerry Weintraub in particular did not want Morita, as he saw him as a comedic actor.[24] Morita eventually tested five times before Weintraub himself offered him the role,[24] ultimately winning it because he grew a beard and patterned his accent after his uncle.[25] 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".[26]
In the first film,The Karate Kid (1984), Morita was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a correspondingGolden Globe Award, for his role as the wisekarate teacherMr. Miyagi who taught bullied teenagerDaniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) the art ofGoju-ryu karate.[27] He was recognized as Noriyuki "Pat" Morita at the57th Academy Awards ceremony.[28] He reprised the role two more times with Macchio inThe Karate Kid Part II (1986) andThe 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 inThe Next Karate Kid withHilary Swank (as bullied teenagerJulie Pierce) instead of Macchio.
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 byABC and was quickly canceled after a month in the fall of 1976. He also starred in the ABC detective showOhara (1987–1988); it was cancelled after two seasons due to poor ratings.
Morita went on to play Tommy Tanaka in theKirk Douglas-starring television movieAmos, receiving his firstPrimetime Emmy Award nomination and secondGolden Globe Award nomination for the role.
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He wrote and starred in theWorld War II romance filmCaptive Hearts (1987). He hosted theeducational home video seriesBritannica's Tales Around the World (1990–1991). He made an appearance onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1994 Season 5 episode “Love Hurts”. He also made a guest appearance on a 1996 episode ofMarried... with Children. Later in his career he starred on theNickelodeon television seriesThe Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (1996–1998), and had a recurring role on the sitcomThe Hughleys (2000). He went on to star in the short filmTalk 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 featureMulan (1998) and reprised the role inMulan II (2004), adirect-to-video sequel andKingdom Hearts II.[29] 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 forColgate toothpaste; he portrayed the white-cladWisdom Tooth, hailing Colgate as "The Wise Choice". He also co-starred withIchiro Suzuki in a 1996Nissan commercial aired inJapan.[30]
He had a cameo appearance in the 2001Alien Ant Farm music video "Movies". His appearance in the video spoofed his role inThe Karate Kid. In 2002, he made a guest appearance on an episode ofSpy TV. In 2003, he had a cameo on an episode of the sitcomYes, Dear, as an unnamed karate teacher, potentially being Miyagi. He would also reprise his role (to an extent) in the stop-motion animated seriesRobot Chicken in 2005.
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 inLas Vegas,Nevada.[31]
Roles created prior to his death were included in a few posthumous works. He voiced Master Udon in theSpongeBob SquarePants episode "Karate Island" (the episode was dedicated to his memory). He had a role in theindependent feature filmOnly the Brave (2006), about the442nd Regimental Combat Team, where he plays the father of lead actor (and director)Lane Nishikawa (the film included two otherKarate Kid stars,Yuji Okumoto andTamlyn Tomita).[32] He also had roles inAct Your Age (2011),Royal Kill (2009), andRemove All Obstacles (2010).[33]
The fifth episode of the Netflix seriesCobra Kai was dedicated in his memory.[34] 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 includingPat Morita: Long Story Short andMore Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story in which he appeared in archival footage.[35][36]
| 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 | |
| 1972 | Every Little Crook and Nanny | Nonaka | |
| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? | Nishimoto | |
| 1972 | Cancel My Reservation | Yamamoto | |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? | Heshy Yamamoto | |
| 1976 | Midway | Rear AdmiralRyūnosuke Kusaka | |
| 1980 | Hito Hata: Raise the Banner | Yamada | |
| 1980 | When Time Ran Out | Sam | |
| 1981 | Full Moon High | The Silversmith | |
| 1982 | Savannah Smiles | Father OHara | |
| 1982 | Jimmy the Kid | Maurice | |
| 1982 | 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 |
| 1984 | Night Patrol | Rape Victim | |
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Mr. Miyagi | |
| 1987 | Captive Hearts | Fukushima | |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid Part III | Mr. Miyagi | Nominated –Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor |
| 1989 | Collision Course | Inspector Fujitsuka Natsuo | |
| 1991 | Strawberry Road | Old Man's Brother | |
| 1991 | Do or Die | Masakana "Kane" Kaneshiro | |
| 1991 | Lena's Holiday | Fred | |
| 1991 | Goodbye Paradise | Ben | |
| 1992 | Honeymoon in Vegas | Mahi Mahi | |
| 1992 | Miracle Beach | Gus | |
| 1992 | Auntie Lee's Meat Pies | Chief Koal | |
| 1992 | Genghis Khan | Emperor Wang | |
| 1993 | American Ninja V | Master Tetsu | |
| 1993 | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | The Chink | |
| 1993 | Living and Working in Space | Cap | |
| 1994 | Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms | Narrator[37] | English version |
| 1994 | The Next Karate Kid | Keisuke Miyagi | |
| 1995 | Timemaster | Isaiah | |
| 1995 | The Misery Brothers | Judge | |
| 1996 | Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite | David Leung | |
| 1996 | Spy Hard | Brian, Waiter In Restaurant | |
| 1996 | Reggie's Prayer | Principal | |
| 1996 | Bloodsport III | David Leung | |
| 1996 | Earth Minus Zero | Dr. Mobius Jefferson | |
| 1997 | Captured Alive | Sam Kashawahara | |
| 1998 | Mulan | The Emperor of China | Voice |
| 1999 | King Cobra | Nick Hashimoto | |
| 1999 | Inferno | Jubal Early | |
| 1999 | 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 | ||
| 2001 | House of Luk | Kwang Luk | |
| 2001 | The Boys of Sunset Ridge | Charlie Watanabe | |
| 2001 | The Center of the World | Taxi Driver | |
| 2001 | Shadow Fury | Dr. Oh | |
| 2001 | Hwasango | Vice Principal Jang Hak-Sa | English American version |
| 2002 | The Stone man | Professor Stevens | |
| 2002 | The Biggest Fan | Richard Limp | |
| 2003 | High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story | Mr. Leo | |
| 2004 | Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls | Himself | Cameo |
| 2004 | Elvis Has Left the Building | Man In Turban | |
| 2004 | Mulan II | The Emperor of China | Voice direct-to-video |
| 2005 | Down and Derby | Ono Yakimoto | |
| 2005 | American Fusion | Lao Dong | |
| 2006 | Spymate | Kiro | Filmed in 2003 Released posthumously |
| 2006 | Only the Brave | Seigo Takata | Released posthumously |
| 2006 | The Number One Girl | Mr. Sakata | Released posthumously |
| 2006 | 18 Fingers of Death! | Freeman Lee | Released posthumously |
| 2009 | Royal Kill | Exhibition Manager | Last acting role Released posthumously |
| 2010 | Remove All Obstacles | The Guru | Short film Released posthumously |
| 2011 | Act Your Age | Tom | Released posthumously |
| 2013 | Blunt Movie | Mr. Miyami | Released posthumously |
| 2014 | Rice Girl | Peter Ong | Final film role Released posthumously |
| 2025 | Karate Kid: Legends | Mr. Miyagi | Archival footage fromThe Karate Kid Part II (1986); released posthumously |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Green Acres | Charlie Lee | Episode: "Hawaiian Honeymoon" |
| 1972 | Evil Roy Slade | Turhan | Television film |
| Columbo | Houseboy | Episode: "Etude in Black" | |
| 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 | 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 | |
| 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" | |
| 1985 | Alice in Wonderland | The Horse | Episode: "Part 2 - Through the Looking-Glass" |
| 1986 | Babes In Toyland | The Toymaster | Television film |
| 1987-1988 | Ohara | Lieutenant Ohara | |
| 1988 | Big Bird in Japan | "Bamboo Princess" Play Narrator (voice) | Television film |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid | Mr. Miyagi | Opening narration; 12 episodes |
| 1990 | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Yoodo Toda | Television film |
| 1991 | Harry and the Hendersons | Kenji Sahuara | Episode: "The Bigfoot Who Ate Seattle" |
| 1992 | Choose Your Own Adventure: The Case of the Silk King | Unknown | ABC Weekend Special |
| 1993 | Space Rangers | Nazzer | |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Mr. Yoshi | Episode: "Love Hurts" |
| 1995 | Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah | Himself | Television film |
| 1996 | Murder, She Wrote | Akira Hitaki | Episode: "Kendo Killing" |
| 1996 | Boy Meets World | Wise Man | Episode: "I Was a Teenage Spy" |
| 1996 | Married... with Children | Mr. Shimakawa | Episode: "Turning Japanese" |
| 1996-1998 | The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo | Michael "Mike" Woo | 29 episodes |
| 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" | |
| 2001 | Son of the Beach | The King | Episode: "B.J. Blue Hawaii" |
| 2001 | Baywatch | Hideki Tanaka | Recurring role as the father of Kekoa Tanaka |
| 2003 | Yes, Dear | Karate Teacher | Episode: "When Jimmy met Greggy" |
| 2004 | The Karate Dog | Chin Li | Television film |
| 2005 | Robot Chicken | Himself | Voice Episode: "S&M Present" |
| 2006 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Master Udon | Voice Episode: "Karate Island Dedicated to his memory Released posthumously |
| 2018-2025 | Cobra Kai | Mr. Miyagi | Archival footage Released posthumously |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Beyond Barbed Wire | Narrator | |
| 2000 | Diamonds in the Rough: The Legacy of Japanese American Baseball | Narrator | NBRP Documentary |
| 2010 | Interviews of Ninja's Creed | Interviewee | |
| 2015 | The Real Miyagi | Interviewee | |
| 2019[38] | Pat Morita: Long Story Short | Manuscript Writer and interviewee | |
| 2021 | More than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story | Archival footage and interviewee Released posthumously |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | The Emperor of China | Voice Released posthumously |
...since [Great Conquest] is such a condensation of 120 years of ancient Chinese history,Carl [Macek] spent more money than inStreamline Pictures' history on a single voice actor to hire actor Pat Morita to provide a voiceover narration to explain what an Oriental audience would have known.
