Pat Morita

Pat Morita brought a rare balance of humour, patience and quiet authority to the screen. Born Noriyuki Morita in Isleton, California, in 1932, he endured an extraordinarily difficult childhood. Spinal tuberculosis kept him hospitalised for much of his early life, and after extensive surgery and learning to walk, he was taken directly to the Gila River internment camp, where his Japanese-American family was being held during World War II.

Morita did not take a direct route into acting. He worked as a data processor and later became a department head at Lockheed before occupational burnout pushed him toward show business. Starting in small Sacramento and San Francisco clubs, he developed his stand-up act as Pat Morita and eventually moved to Los Angeles. That comedy background remained visible throughout his career: even when playing reserved or authoritative characters, he understood how much a pause, glance or carefully delivered line could do.

Early film parts and television appearances led to recurring work on Sanford and Son and M*A*S*H. On Happy Days, he played Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi, the good-humoured owner of Arnold’s Drive-In. Morita was so closely associated with comedy that he initially faced resistance when auditioning for Mr Miyagi in The Karate Kid. After testing five times, he won the role and gave the film its calm emotional centre. His performance as Daniel LaRusso’s wise karate teacher earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

Morita returned as Miyagi in The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III and The Next Karate Kid, as well as the animated Karate Kid series. His career extended well beyond that defining role. He starred in the detective series Ohara, wrote and starred in Captive Hearts, appeared in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo and voiced the Emperor of China in Mulan and Mulan II. Across comedy, drama and animation, Morita had an inviting screen presence that could turn gentle humor into something more reflective without losing its warmth.