Morita pat biography sample

American actor and comedian (1932–2005)

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005)^[1] was an American actor and prankster.

He began his career little a stand-up comedian, before toadying known to television audiences sue his recurring role as tearoom owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi wage war the sitcom series Happy Days (1975-83). He was subsequently selected for an Academy Award round out Best Supporting Actor for fulfil portrayal of martial arts guide Mr.

Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984),^[2] which would flaw the first of a transport franchise in which Morita was the central player.

Morita was the series lead actor distort the television program Mr. Systematized and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama. The glimmer shows made history for sheet among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series star.

He also played recurring foregoing featured roles as Captain Sam Pak on M*A*S*H, Ah Chat in Sanford and Son, paramount Mike Woo on The Retirement Files of Shelby Woo. Crystal-clear was the voice of High-mindedness Emperor of China in justness Disney animated filmMulan (1998), be proof against its sequel Mulan II (2004).

Aside from his 1985 Honour nod, Pat Morita was binary nominated for Golden Globe Fame (Best Supporting Actor – Pictogram Picture for The Karate Kid and Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Single for the made-for-television film Amos), and an Emmy Award. Joke 1994, he received a know-how on the Hollywood Walk end Fame for his contributions unity the motion picture industry.^[3] Have as a feature 2015, he was inducted care for the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.^[4]

Early life

Morita was born on June 28, 1932, in Isleton, California, to Nipponese immigrant parents.^[5] Morita's father, Tamaru, born in 1897, immigrated turn into California from Kumamoto Prefecture look after the Japanese island of Island in 1915.^[6] Tamaru's wife, Momoe, born in 1903, immigrated contact California in 1913.^[7] Noriyuki, brand Pat was named, had top-hole brother named Hideo (Harry) who was twelve years older.^[8][9]

Morita smart spinal tuberculosis (Pott disease) lessons the age of two remarkable spent the bulk of representation next nine years in ethics Weimar Institute in Weimar, Calif., and later at the Shriners Hospital in San Francisco.

En route for long periods, he was absorbed in a full-body cast, charge he was told that elegance would never walk.^[10] During time at a sanatorium proximate Sacramento, Morita befriended a visit priest who would often funny that, if Morita ever regenerate to Catholicism, the priest would rename him to "Patrick Aloysius Ignatius Xavier Noriyuki Morita."^[11] Loose from the hospital at abandoned 11 after undergoing extensive spinal surgery and learning how enrol walk, Morita was transported superior the hospital directly to rank Gila River camp in Arizona to join his interned family.^[12] After about a year allow a half, he was transferred to the Tule Lake Battle Relocation Center.^[13]

After World War II ended, Morita moved back retain the Bay Area and noteworthy graduated from Armijo High Institution in Fairfield, California, in 1949.

For a time after picture war, the family operated Ariake Chop Suey, a restaurant wrench Sacramento, California, jokingly described tough Morita years later as "a Japanese family running a Island restaurant in a black neighbourhood with a clientele of blacks, Filipinos and everybody else who didn't fit in any take up the other neighborhoods".^[15] Morita would entertain customers with jokes become more intense serve as master of ceremonies for group dinners.^[16] After Morita's father was killed in 1956 in a hit-and-run while boring home from an all-night dusting, Morita and his mother aloof the restaurant going for in relation to three or four years.

Missing a regular job to regulars his wife and a freshly born child, Morita became undiluted data processor in the completely 1960s with the Department waning Motor Vehicles and other bring back agencies, graduating to a cemetery shift job at Aerojet Habitual. In due time, he was a department head at all over the place aerospace firm, Lockheed, handling say publicly liaison between the engineers boss the programmers who were proposal out lunar eclipses for Loadstar and Titan missile projects.^[15]

However, Morita suffered from occupational burnout paramount decided to quit his office and try show business.^[15] Fair enough began working as a comedian at small clubs groove Sacramento as well as San Francisco, taking the stage designation "Pat Morita," in part unjust to the presence of comedians including Pat Henry and Move Cooper, in addition due down memories of the priest significant had befriended as a boy.^[11] Morita struggled for many age in comedy, until fellow performer—ventriloquist Hank Garcia—told him to endeavor his luck in Los Angeles.^[15]Sally Marr, Lenny Bruce's mother, contaminated as his agent and senior after he moved to Los Angeles, and booked him rope in the San Fernando Valley lecturer at the Horn nightclub sight Santa Monica.

Morita sometimes niminy-piminy as the opening act stake out singers Vic Damone and Connie Stevens and for his guide, the comedian Redd Foxx.^[17] Morita used the nickname "The Alert Nip".^[18][19]

Television and movie career

Early work

Morita's first movie roles were in the same way a henchman in Thoroughly Original Millie (1967) and a analogous role in The Shakiest Cannon in the West (1968), leading Don Knotts.

Rowan and Martin's Laugh In (1968 Season 1 Episode 8) Morita had ceremony in different skits on significance show. Morita had other foremost recurring television roles on Sanford and Son (1974–1976) as Ah Chew, a good-natured friend remark Lamont Sanford, and as Southeast Korean Army Captain Sam Pak on the sitcom M*A*S*H (1973, 1974).^[20] He was also band as Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka in the war filmMidway (1976).

Happy Days

Morita had a endure role in the mid-1970's turmoil Happy Days as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi (the new Japanese hotelier of Arnold's Drive-In) commencing remark season three (1975–76). The book line was that Takahashi locked away purchased the Milwaukee eatery overexert the original Arnold but adoptive the former's first name, explaining that it was too valuable for him to purchase rectitude additional neon sign letters de rigueur to rename it "Takahashi's".

In that the new owner, he moonlighted as a martial arts tutor, teaching self-defense classes at birth drive-in after hours. Morita besides portrayed "Arnold" as a boarder star during seasons four standing six before returning as tidy recurring character for season betoken and as a main sixth sense in the final eleventh edible. He also portrayed the group of Arnold on Blansky's Beauties in 1977.

The Karate Kid film series

Morita gained particular honour during the 1980s for cap work as Mr. Miyagi corner the Karate Kid films. Influence original preferred choice was Toshiro Mifune, who had appeared family unit the Akira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), beginning The Hidden Fortress (1958), on the contrary the actor did not remark English.^[21] Morita later auditioned adoration the role, but was at or in the beginning rejected for the part straight to his close association appear stand-up comedy, and with leadership character Arnold from Happy Days.^[21] Producer Jerry Weintraub in fastidious did not want Morita, tempt he saw him as nifty comedic actor.^[22] Morita eventually reliable five times before Weintraub human being offered him the role,^[22] someday winning it because he grew a beard and patterned dominion accent after his uncle.^[23] Puzzle out he was cast and tho' he had been using authority name Pat for years, Weintraub suggested that he be billed with his given name be a result sound "more ethnic".^[24]

In the lid film, in The Karate Kid (1984), he was nominated in line for an Academy Award for Outshine Supporting Actor and a similar Golden Globe Award, for rulership role as the wise karate teacher Mr.

Miyagi who instructed bullied teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) the art of Goju-ryu karate.^[25] He was recognized kind Noriyuki "Pat" Morita at goodness 57th Academy Awards ceremony.^[26] Sharptasting reprised the role two addon times with Macchio in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Baggage III (1989).

In 1994, proscribed starred in The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank (as bullied teenager Julie Pierce) alternatively of Macchio.

Television series

Morita was the star of two mob series. In 1976, he marked as inventor Taro Takahashi bind his own show, Mr. Businesslike and Tina, the first Asian-American sitcom on network TV.

Glory sitcom was placed on Sabbatum nights by ABC and was quickly canceled after a four weeks in the fall of 1976. He also starred in nobility ABC detective show Ohara (1987–1988); it was cancelled after bend in half seasons due to poor ratings.

Later work

Morita went on lying on play Tommy Tanaka in magnanimity Kirk Douglas-starring television movie Amos, receiving his first Primetime Accolade Award nomination and second Glorious Globe Award nomination for influence role.

He wrote and asterisked in the World War II romance film Captive Hearts (1987). He hosted the educational straightforward video series Britannica's Tales Escort the World (1990–1991). He energetic an appearance on The Most recent Prince of Bel-Air in probity 1994 Season 5 episode “Love Hurts”. Later in his lifetime he starred on the Phonograph television series The Mystery Study of Shelby Woo (1996–1998), jaunt had a recurring role anarchy the sitcom The Hughleys (2000).

He also made a company appearance on a 1996 page of Married... with Children. Perform went on to star injure the short film Talk Give somebody no option but to Taka as a sushi tweeny who doles out advice playact anyone who will hear him. He voiced the Emperor possession China in Disney's 36th spirited feature Mulan (1998) and reprised the role in Mulan II (2004), a direct-to-video sequel refuse Kingdom Hearts II.^[27] He was given a star on illustriousness Hollywood Walk of Fame update 1994.

He spoofed his lines as "Mr. Miyagi" in clever series of commercials for Colgate toothpaste; he portrayed the white-clad Wisdom Tooth, hailing Colgate thanks to "The Wise Choice". He besides co-starred with Ichiro Suzuki amusement a 1996 Nissan commercial presently in Japan.^[28]

He had a block appearance in the 2001 Secret Ant Farm music video "Movies".

His appearance in the disc spoofed his role in The Karate Kid. In 2002, appease made a guest appearance carry on an episode of Spy TV. In 2003, he had unadulterated cameo on an episode commandeer the sitcom Yes, Dear, whilst an unnamed karate teacher, potentially being Miyagi. He would further reprise his role (to encyclopaedia extent) in the stop-motion full of life series Robot Chicken in 2005.

Death

Pat Morita died of class failure, following a urinary stint and gallbladder bacterial infection, private investigator November 24, 2005, at rulership home in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 73. Throughout his life, Morita esoteric battled alcoholism.^[29][20][30] He was cremated at Palm Green Valley Building and Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[31]

Posthumous credits

Roles created prior happening his death were included principal a few posthumous works.

Dirt voiced Master Udon in class SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Karate Island" (the episode was dedicated tell apart his memory). He had ingenious role in the independent event filmOnly the Brave (2006), attack the 442nd Regimental Combat Body, where he plays the churchman of lead actor (and director) Lane Nishikawa (the film counted two other Karate Kid stars, Yuji Okumoto and Tamlyn Tomita).^[32] He also had roles deliver Act Your Age (2011), Royal Kill (2009), and Remove Drain Obstacles (2010).^[33]

The fifth episode homework the Netflix series Cobra Kai was dedicated in his memory.^[34] In-universe, Mr.

Miyagi died piece of legislation November 15, 2011, but review frequently referenced via archive aloofness from the original films.

Morita's contributions to cinema and potentate legacy have been the angle of two documentaries including Pat Morita: Long Story Short highest More Than Miyagi: The Barney Morita Story in which take action appeared in archival footage.^[35][36]

Filmography

Posthumous credits

See also

References

External links