Pat Morita

From Isleton, California, USA • 1932 - 2005

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) 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 from 1975 to 1983. 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), 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. In 2015, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame. (Via Wikipedia)