Pat Morita, Oscar-nominated for role as Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi, dies at 73
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at 9:50 on November 25, 2005, EST.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor Pat Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid earned him an Oscar nomination, has died. He was 73.

Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on Happy Days, had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."

In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills.

Morita said in a 1986 interview with The Associated Press he was billed as Noriyuki (Pat) Morita in the film because producer Jerry Weintraub wanted him to sound more ethnic. He said he used the billing because it was "the only name my parents gave me." He lost the 1984 best supporting actor award to Haing S. Ngor, who appeared in The Killing Fields.

For years, Morita played small and sometimes demeaning roles in such films as Thoroughly Modern Millie and TV series such as The Odd Couple and Green Acres. His first breakthrough came with Happy Days, and he followed with his own brief series, Mr. T and Tina.

The Karate Kid, led to three sequels, the last of which, 1994's The Next Karate Kid, paired him with a young Hilary Swank.

Morita was prolific outside of the Karate Kid series as well, appearing in Honeymoon in Vegas, Spy Hard, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and The Center of the World. He also provided the voice for a character in the Disney movie Mulan in 1998.

Born in northern California on June 28, 1932, the son of migrant fruit pickers, Morita spent most of his early years in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis. He later recovered only to be sent to a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during the Second World War.

"One day I was an invalid," he recalled in a 1989 AP interview. "The next day I was public enemy No. 1 being escorted to an internment camp by an FBI agent wearing a piece."

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.

Because prospects for a Japanese-American standup comic seemed poor, Morita found steady work in computers at Aerojet General. But at age 30 he entered show business full time.

"Only in America could you get away with the kind of comedy I did," he commented. "If I tried it in Japan before the war, it would have been considered blasphemy, and I would have ended in leg irons. "

Morita was to be buried at Palm Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife and three daughters from a previous marriage.


©The Canadian Press, 2005


[This is the official tribute sticky - post here] . NO more Miyagi threads or they go **poof** like a few have already done]

awwww...

can we have a picture?

REDFEATHERS said:

Still trying to catch flies with his chop sticks!

luv4u said:

thanks luv4u.. its pretty sad, cos 73 isnt old these days..

R.I.P.

Here's a link - lyric tribute from another thread http://www.prince.org/msg/100/168531

PEJ said:

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[Edited 11/25/05 15:54pm]

Mr. Miyagi will be so missed.

"wax on - wax off"

where's my thread? Is it deleated?

Life and death is like you wax on and wax off.

unlucky7 said:

thats what i thought...

SammiJ said:

I believe the thread had mispellings in title and such things.

unlucky7 said:

It went **poof**

ok, my spelling sucks...
I noticed luv4u likes to delete my threads.

unlucky7 said:

luv4u said:

Aww

gosh i loved that guy...

many good people are just leaving...rosa parks, gregory hines, Pat

it is very sad

but why a sticky?

SammiJ said:

Because chicky, the GD was getting prolific with Mr. Miyagi threads.

RIP Mr. Miyagi

pat morita!!!!

arnold

Why is this thread a sticky? Is Pat Morita's death more of a significance than George Bests'?