NationStates Jolt Archive

Actor Pat Morita, best known as Mr. Miyagi (for which he was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor--who knew?) died today at the age of 73. (http://nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Obit-Morita.html?hp&ex=1132981200&en=914dffe20f0edee5&ei=5094&partner=homepage)
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. ''

No!!

Wax on wax off!!!!

:(

Thank god...when I saw the thread title, I thought you were referring to George Best.
It's truly a sad day when Mr. Miyagi is dead. :(

When I read 'A great man has died' I thought you meant George best - I was going to e-kick you. Morita, though...

*sobs*

Thank god...when I saw the thread title, I thought you were referring to George Best.
Me too. Spooky.

The Karate Kid was that important eh? Never seen it, don't want to.

The Karate Kid was that important eh? Never seen it, don't want to.
*performs apparently unblockable crane kick on Utracia, as taught in The Karate Kid*

And that's why you should watch the film.

george best though; it was about bloody time

The Karate Kid was that important eh? Never seen it, don't want to.

You sir, can go pound sand. You know, you can drop down, 4th ring, cook

What about a high left, kick fake to the right chop and a power-right fist?

*performs apparently unblockable crane kick on Utracia, as taught in The Karate Kid*

And that's why you should watch the film.

Sensitive are we? :D I just don't see the appeal, if i want to see a bad martial arts film I'd watch Mortal Combat or something just as awful.

Sensitive are we? :D I just don't see the appeal, if i want to see a bad martial arts film I'd watch Mortal Combat or something just as awful.
yeah, but if you want to see a good martial arts film...

Ahhh, the 80s. When every single acting role for an asian man went to either Morita or Mako.......


How many citizenships did they get to assume back then?


Siyonara Pat. I enjoyed a lot of your work.

How many citizenships did they get to assume back then?
At the last count, Morita was ahead by four assumed citizenships, with 405,342,338,2.3 citizenships.

:(
R.I.P. Thank you for being part of the world, Pat Morita.

Rip

Wow, you would have thought that Gandhi died or something.

He was an actor! He didn't even write his own lines!

Unrelated note, George Best has passed away in the day. The legend, and consumate footballer, that he was, bear testament to the greatest player to grcae Old Trafford.

The Karate Kid was that important eh? Never seen it, don't want to.
If that's not to your liking perhaps you can remember him as Arnold from Happy Days, or perhaps the Korean army leason in M*A*S*H, or one of the dozens of other roles the man had.

Good bye Pat, thank you.

Ahhh, the 80s. When every single acting role for an asian man went to either Morita or Mako.......
MMMMMMMMmmmaaaaakkoooo!


Ahem. Sorry. Bit of a fan.



foolish samurai...

WOAH! This is terrible! The Korean liaison is dead? *sniff*

Pray for his soul
maybe the one true God will forgive him for being Japanese
and then he can party in heaven

Unrelated note, George Best has passed away in the day. The legend, and consumate footballer, that he was, bear testament to the greatest player to grcae Old Trafford.
1. George Best was one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen - NO QUESTION

2. He is also a drunk, who couldn't help himself or be helped.

3. End of story...sad loss ? yes...but I think that the column inches have been sickening !!....there are people dying in Africa, there is a complete mess in Iraq and Afghanistan and a worldwide AIDS epedemic and the headlines on the news is for someone who was a great professional footballer.

4. he took a kidney that could ahve been better used.

4. he took a kidney that could ahve been better used.
Liver. He took a liver.

Nooooooooooooooooo! Why couldn't it have been Kahta! :(

"Man walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk down middle, sooner or later, get squished."

Guess he should've stayed on either side.

Well, anyway, I'll always have fond memories of Pat. He'll be missed, whereever he's now :(

Meh, this sucks.

Nooooooooooooooooo! Why couldn't it have been Kahta! :(
LMFAO!

Rest in Peace Pat Morita. Thank you for who you were, what you did, and may the kamikaze (devine wind in Japaneese mythology, not the Japaneese suicide pilots from WW2!) be with you for ever and ever in the afterlife. Domo arigato for everything.

Just for a second, a split second. when I saw the topic, I thought of George.... Bush. Junior. Darnit. The man is a fundamentalist nutball, but i think he did the right thing in invading Iraq. After that, it went all pear shaped.

*moment of silence for Mr.Myagi*

RIP, the Japanese-American Community will miss you!

I know I do.

Awww this made me sad. Strange that it did but there we are. Bless 'im. I grew up wanting him for an uncle. May he rest in peace.

As for George Best - I agree that it was about time. I'm not a footy fan at all. Aside from that, he was a drunk, violent to women and yet, the likes of the Irish prime minister and Sir Bob Galdof are harping on about his greatness. Might be a case of death sainting someone, bit like princess Di. -shrug-

Sayonara Morita Filmeru no kami Noriyuki

trans(sorta): "farewell Noriyuki Morita, lord of film"

Well, that's sad. Even if I didn't like any of the movies he was ever in...

For what it was worth, Pat Morita was the only good thing about that waste of celluloid. It was formulaic and very, very predictable. The "martial arts" on display in that movie was a bad joke, and moreover, Ralph Macchio couldn't act as though he were drowning if you hog-tied him, manacled him to a concrete block and threw him into the lake. If someone came at me in crane stance, it might actually work, as I would be too busy laughing to adequately protect myself.

Here are some other things he had been in.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001552/

i forgot all about "Shelby Woo!" anyone else used to watch it?

sorry if this is off topic.

I thought this would be about Best.
Tis a shame though.

Liver. He took a liver.
My mistake.