Abundantly busy and much loved Asian-American actor who became an on-screen hero to millions of adults and kids alike as the wise and wonderful Mr. However, putting all that karate aside, the diminutive Morita actually first started out as a stand-up comedian known as the Hip Nip in nightclubs and bars, and made his first on-screen appearance in Thoroughly Modern Millie Morita got his next break playing the often-perplexed restaurant owner Matsho "Arnold" Takahashi in 26 episodes of the hugely popular sitcom Happy Days between and , and again between and Morita was quite in demand on the small screen and also scored the lead in his own police drama Ohara , and guest-starred on other high-profile television series including Magnum, P. Although most often used as a minor character actor, he remained consistently busy and occasionally lent his vocal talents to animated features such as Mulan However, his real strengths lay in portraying slightly oddball or unusual characters in offbeat films. Sign In. Edit Pat Morita.


Pat Morita's comedian label made producers hesitant to cast him
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As a child Morita suffered from spinal tuberculosis and was confined to a sanatorium, where he entertained nurses and other children with sock puppets. Before making his film debut in , he spent several years doing stand-up comedy routines in nightclubs. Pat Morita Article Additional Info. Print Cite.
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The s produced some seriously iconic cinema, and — for some reason — it became a golden age for fictional mentor figures. Perhaps the greatest cinematic mentor of all came into pop culture in 's The Karate Kid. His character is the moral heart of The Karate Kid. From the moment he first appeared on screen, he instantly became one of the most popular and quotable characters in film history, and it wouldn't have worked without a capable actor bringing him to life. The late, great Pat Morita was the man responsible, and nowadays it's hard to think about the legendary actor without thinking of his Mr. Miyagi performance. Shockingly, he very nearly didn't land his best-known role, and at one point found himself at the very bottom of the list of potential candidates. The film's producer, Jerry Weintraub, had his reasons to dislike Morita for The Karate Kid , though we're certainly happy he came around in the end. Before becoming the wise old sensei, Pat Morita made a name for himself on television through a handful of light-hearted, sitcoms in the s.