eiker_ir 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 LOS ANGELES - 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 World War II. "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. __________________________________________________________________ i'll miss him alot, Karate Kid movies are classics from my childhood RIP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo Effect 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 Hard to really be sad since he lived a full life and died of natural causes, but Morita was awesome. I'm glad he got to lend his voice to Robot Chicken before he died. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 So he didn't actually know any martial arts? My world is crashing...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pochorenella 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 Hard to really be sad since he lived a full life and died of natural causes, but Morita was awesome.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Right. Dying of natural causes, don't we all wish to go quietly like that? I'll never forget the Karate Kid movies. "Wax on, wax off", "Daniel-san, Banzai!" and that healing thingie he did with his hands, awesome. R.I.P. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the max 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 I'll remember him for Karate Kid 1. The rest were crap. He was gold in the first movie though. I still watch and enjoy it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 Anyone see the episode of Sanford & Son when he was the cook? I still cant believe shit like that was on tv back in the day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BUTT 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 What a great dude. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Epic Reine 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 Cobra Kai do or die! He rocked in the Karate Kid movies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2005 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 Cobra Kai do or die! He rocked in the Karate Kid movies. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> which reminds me of one of the "so bad its good" movies he was in, Do or Die, although not on account of the gratuitous playmate nudity. I actually went and found this off Joebobbriggs.com (remember him?) And speaking of American traditions, the latest movie is here from the husband-wife filmmaking team of Andy and Arlene Sidaris, the couple that combines the best in exploding helicopters, nekkid bazoomas, Playboy Playmates, bodybuilders, and the mutilation of small helpless animals. And this time they've even got . . . gratuitous Pat Morita! It's called "Do or Die," yet another in the unlikely spy series that will soon surpass James Bond in sheer number of episodes. Actually, Andy doesn't make sequels--he makes the EXACT SAME MOVIE over and over again. My kind of guy. Once again undercover federal agents (and ex-Playmates) Dona Speir and Roberta Vasquez are on the run from an international crime boss (Pat Morita, who mostly hangs around a penthouse apartment getting nude body rubs from Carolyn Liu, who is--oh my God! what a coincidence!--ANOTHER Playboy Playmate.) In the very first scene of the flick, Pat tells the agents, "I am compelled to kill you," and then tells them he's hired six teams of assassins to hunt them down. "Why go to all this trouble to kill us?" asks one of the Playma . . . er . . . federal agents. BECAUSE, IF HE DIDN'T, THERE WOULDN'T BE A MOVIE! Then Pat follows the action on a Nintendo screen, where each of his "teams of assassins" evaporate in a burst of Space Invaders special-effects as they vainly attempt to track down, kidnap, torture or murder these wily nymphomaniac secret agents. This is actually the sixth in a series of movies that include "Seven," "Malibu Express," "Picasso Trigger," "Savage Beach," and "Guns," and it's the SECOND one to feature Erik Estrada in a role that requires actual talking. As usual, the action takes place in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Texas and Louisiana. The action ALWAYS takes place in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Texas and Louisiana, and the reason for that is . . . er . . . uh . . . I called up Andy to ask him. "The reason for that is that I write these scripts in four days," he said. "Then Arlene puts things in them like . . . Arlene! What was that thing you put in the script! . . . Continuity. We have continuity. And plot development. She puts that in there, too." This is one of the best-selling series of films AROUND THE WORLD. I'm not kidding. And it's the first one where you can follow the whole plot without getting lost. Twenty breasts. Fourteen dead bodies. One dead cat. One dead duck. Five motor vehicle chases. Exploding helicopter. Exploding Volkswagen, with fireball. Exploding boat. Exploding ninjas. Helicopter-and-Jeep chase. Two machine-gun battles. Two hot tub scenes. Gratuitous model-airplane competition. Kung Fu. Hula Fu. Throwing star Fu. Jet-ski Fu. Drive-In Academy Award nominations for Pat Morita, as the evil oriental businessman, for saying "Let the games begin!"; Roberta Vasquez, for looking up at a helicopter that's buzzing her Jeep and screaming "Donna, he's got a gun!"; Dona Speir, three-time Breast Actress winner, for being chased by a van spraying machine-gun fire at her and saying "Oh, damn!" and for screaming "You can't treat me like one of your bimbos!"; Carolyn Liu, as Pat Morita's girlfriend, for saying "Oh, that arouses ALL of my senses!"; Ava Cadell, for wearing the tightest-fitting outfit ever seen in the movies and saying "You drive, I'll shoot"; Cynthia Brimhall, Miss October 1985, for singing "Down on the Bayou" in a see-through cowgirl lingerie outfit; Erik Estrada, for saying "Synchronize your watches!" (yes, he really said this); Stephanie Schick, an Atlanta model with the two most enormous talents seen on the screen in the past five years, for aardvarking under a waterfall; Bruce Penhall, as secret agent Shane, for saying "I can't get over it--I shot a duck"; and, of course, Andy and Arlene, for never forgetting their drive-in roots. Four stars. Joe Bob says check it out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 I hate double posts.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoCalMike 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 I didn't think Karate Kid II was crap, I actually thought it was a decent movie. And his role in Honeymoon in Vegas was small but memorable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eiker_ir 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 part II was good, not as good as the first but a good sequel at least. Part III and IV tho...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Epic Reine 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 I personally thought the first 3 Karate Kid movies were excellent, it was just Hilary Swank stinking up the screen with her abomination of the series that killed it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sideburnious 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2005 I always got confused with him, and the Grandfather from the 3 ninja movies. Shame he's dead though. Oh and was Karate Kid 2 the one where they go back to Japan, and have that stupid drum? If so, that movie was so boring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericholic82 0 Report post Posted November 27, 2005 RIP remember him on Married with children as Marcys boss at the bank? They invite him to dinner and try to act all japanese by dressing in kimonos and singing karaoke and drinking tea, and hes all forget tea, I want some pizza. Later he tried to buy Als dodge cuz he collects classic american junk funny episode. But Mr Miyagi he will forever be rembered as I suppose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites