Pat Morita: Difference between revisions

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==Appearances==
==Appearances==


==Filmography==
==1960-1979==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| 1967
| 1967
| ''[[Thoroughly Modern Millie]]''
| ''Thoroughly Modern Millie''
| Asian #2
| Asian #2
|
|
|-
|-
| 1968
| 1968
| ''[[The Shakiest Gun in the West]]''
| ''The Shakiest Gun in the West''
| Wong
| Wong
|
|
|-
|-
| 1971
| 1971
| ''[[Green Acres]]''
| ''Green Acres''
| Charlie Lee
| Charlie Lee
| Season 6, Episode 25, "Hawaiian Honeymoon"
| Season 6, Episode 25, "Hawaiian Honeymoon"
|-
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1972
| rowspan="6" | 1972
| ''[[Evil Roy Slade]]''
| ''Evil Roy Slade''
| Turhan
| Turhan
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Columbo]]''
| ''Columbo''
| Houseboy
| Houseboy
| Episode: "Etude in Black"
| Episode: "Etude in Black"
|-
|-
| ''[[Every Little Crook and Nanny]]''
| ''Every Little Crook and Nanny''
| Nonaka
| Nonaka
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Where Does It Hurt?]]''
| ''Where Does It Hurt?''
| Nishimoto
| Nishimoto
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Cancel My Reservation]]''
| ''Cancel My Reservation''
| Yamamoto
| Yamamoto
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]''
| ''The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)''
| Mr. Wing
| Mr. Wing
| Episode: "Partner's Investment"
| Episode: "Partner's Investment"
|-
|-
|1973
|1973
| ‘’[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]’’
| ‘’Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)’’
| Phoebe
| Phoebe
| Season6, Episode 7, “Tricks Are Not Treats”
| Season6, Episode 7, “Tricks Are Not Treats”
|-
|-
| 1973–1974
| 1973–1974
| ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]''
| ''M*A*S*H (TV series)''
| Captain Sam Pak
| Captain Sam Pak
| Season 2, Episode 13, "Deal Me Out". <br /> Season 2, Episode 19, "The Chosen People".  
| Season 2, Episode 13, "Deal Me Out". <br /> Season 2, Episode 19, "The Chosen People".  
|-
|-
|rowspan="2" | 1974
|rowspan="2" | 1974
| ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]''
| ''Cannon (TV series)''
| Chuck Yamagata
| Chuck Yamagata
| Episode: "The Avenger"
| Episode: "The Avenger"
|-
|-
| ''[[Punch and Jody]]''
| ''Punch and Jody''
| Takahasi
| Takahasi
|
|
|-
|-
| 1974–1976
| 1974–1976
| ''[[Sanford and Son]]''
| ''Sanford and Son''
| Ah Chew
| Ah Chew
| 7 episodes
| 7 episodes
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1975
| rowspan="2" | 1975
| ''[[I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?]]''
| ''I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?''
| Heshy Yamamoto
| Heshy Yamamoto
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]''
| ''Kung Fu (TV series)''
| Chan
| Chan
| Season Three Episode 58 Ambush
| Season Three Episode 58 Ambush
|-
|-
| 1975–1983
| 1975–1983
| ''[[Happy Days]]''
| ''Happy Days''
| Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi
| Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi
| 26 episodes
| 26 episodes
|-
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1976
| rowspan="4" | 1976
| ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]''
| ''Welcome Back, Kotter''
| Mr. Takahashi
| Mr. Takahashi
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Mr. T and Tina]]''
| ''Mr. T and Tina''
| Mr. Takahashi
| Mr. Takahashi
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Farewell to Manzanar]]''
| ''Farewell to Manzanar''
| Zenahiro
| Zenahiro
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]''
| ''Midway (1976 film)''
| Rear Admiral [[Ryūnosuke Kusaka]]
| Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka
|
|
|-
|-
| 1977
| 1977
| ''[[Blansky's Beauties]]''
| ''Blansky's Beauties''
| Arnold
| Arnold
| 13 episodes
| 13 episodes
|-
|-
| 1977–1987
| 1977–1987
| ''[[Love Boat]]''
| ''Love Boat''
| Unknown  
| Unknown  
|
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1978
| rowspan="2" | 1978
| ''[[Man from Atlantis]]''
| ''Man from Atlantis''
| Moby
| Moby
| Episode: "Imp"
| Episode: "Imp"
|-
|-
| ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
| ''The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)''
| Fred
| Fred
| Episode: "Stop the Presses"
| Episode: "Stop the Presses"

Revision as of 19:19, 13 November 2022

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was an American actor, voice actor, and comedian, known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days (1975–1983), Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid film series, Mike Woo in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, and The Emperor of China in Mulan and Mulan II. Morita was nominated for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. Morita also portrayed Ah Chew in Sanford and Son (1974–1976).

Morita was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina (1976) and in Ohara (1987–1988), a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian American series lead.

Morita was born in Isleton, California in 1932. Morita's father Tamaru, born in 1897, had immigrated to California from Kumamoto Prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu in 1915. Tamaru's wife Momoe, born in 1903, had emigrated to California in 1913. Noriyuki, as Pat was named, had a brother named Hideo (Harry) who was twelve years older.

Morita developed spinal tuberculosis (Pott disease) at the age of two and spent the bulk of the next nine years in the Weimar Institute in Weimar, California, and later at the Shriners Hospital in San Francisco. For long periods he was wrapped in a full-body cast and was told that he would never walk. During his time at a sanatorium near Sacramento, Morita befriended a visiting priest who would often joke that, if Morita ever converted to Catholicism, the priest would rename him to "Patrick Aloysius Ignatius Xavier Noriyuki Morita". Released from the hospital at age 11 after undergoing extensive spinal surgery and learning how to walk, Morita was transported from the hospital directly to the Gila River camp in Arizona to join his interned family. After about a year and a half, he was transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center.

For a time after the war, the family operated Ariake Chop Suey, a restaurant in Sacramento, California. Morita would entertain customers with jokes and serve as master of ceremonies for group dinners.

{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMrVk4anT6w}}

Morita began working as a stand-up comic after graduating from Armijo High School in Fairfield, California. He took the stage name "Pat Morita", in part due to the presence of comedians including Pat Henry and Pat Cooper, and in part due to memories of the priest he had befriended as a boy. Morita struggled for many years in comedy. Sally Marr, Lenny Bruce's mother, acted as his agent and manager in his early days. Morita sometimes worked as the opening act for singers Vic Damone and Connie Stevens and for his mentor, the comedian Redd Foxx. Foxx later gave him a role on his sitcom Sanford and Son in the early 1970s.

{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2BjZMmX2fs}}

Appearances

1960-1979

Year Title Role Notes
1967 Thoroughly Modern Millie Asian #2
1968 The Shakiest Gun in the West Wong
1971 Green Acres Charlie Lee Season 6, Episode 25, "Hawaiian Honeymoon"
1972 Evil Roy Slade Turhan
Columbo Houseboy Episode: "Etude in Black"
Every Little Crook and Nanny Nonaka
Where Does It Hurt? Nishimoto
Cancel My Reservation Yamamoto
The Odd Couple (1970 TV series) Mr. Wing Episode: "Partner's Investment"
1973 ‘’Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)’’ Phoebe Season6, Episode 7, “Tricks Are Not Treats”
1973–1974 M*A*S*H (TV series) Captain Sam Pak Season 2, Episode 13, "Deal Me Out".
Season 2, Episode 19, "The Chosen People".
1974 Cannon (TV series) Chuck Yamagata Episode: "The Avenger"
Punch and Jody Takahasi
1974–1976 Sanford and Son Ah Chew 7 episodes
1975 I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? Heshy Yamamoto
Kung Fu (TV series) Chan Season Three Episode 58 Ambush
1975–1983 Happy Days Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi 26 episodes
1976 Welcome Back, Kotter Mr. Takahashi
Mr. T and Tina Mr. Takahashi
Farewell to Manzanar Zenahiro
Midway (1976 film) Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka
1977 Blansky's Beauties Arnold 13 episodes
1977–1987 Love Boat Unknown
1978 Man from Atlantis Moby Episode: "Imp"
The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series) Fred Episode: "Stop the Presses"

Links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.japanifornia.com/index.php?title=Pat_Morita&oldid=9816"