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Pat Morita
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Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
Talented Japanese-American actor who gained fame and a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as the wise karate master, Mr. Miyagi, in The Karate Kid (1984), a role he repeated in parts II (1986), III (1989), and IV, aka The Next Karate Kid (1994). After a long bout with spinal tuberculosis and years in a Japanese internment camp during World War 2, Morita worked as a computer programmer but gave up the job to become a stand-up comic. Billed as "the hip Nip," he played nightclubs and TV variety shows, and made appearances in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), Cancel My Reservation (1972), and Midway (1976). His first major break was playing restaurant proprietor Arnold on two seasons of the popular "Happy Days" sitcom (1975-76 and 1982-83); he also starred in his own short-lived comedy, "Mr. T. and Tina" (1976). He began billing himself as Noriyuki for The Karate Kid but the promise of film stardom proved elusive. His other film credits include Savannah Smiles (1982), Jimmy the Kid(1983), Slapstick (of Another Kind (1984), the straight-to-video Collision Course (1987, costarring Jay Leno), Do or Die (1991),Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994). He starred in and wrote the screenplay for the WW2 romance Captive Hearts (1987) and had his own TV detective series, "Ohara" (1987-88). |  |
