Pat Morita Biography

Pat Morita, born as Noriyuki Morita, was an American actor and comedian. He became an on-screen hero to thousands of kids and adults alike after playing Mr. Miyagi in the flick ‘The Karate Kid’. His stardom reached new heights after he reprised this role in ‘The Karate Kid Part II’, ‘The Karate Kid Part III’ and ‘The Next Karate Kid’. Putting this film series aside, Morita also gained much popularity as a stand-up comedian. He first came into the limelight after playing the roles of Ah Chew in the drama series ‘Sanford and Son’ and Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi in the series ‘Happy Days’. His additional notable works include the television programs ‘M*A*S*H’, ‘Mr. T and Tina’ and ‘Ohara’ and the Disney animated flick ‘Mulan’. The much adored Asian-American actor is also known for starring in the TV movie ‘Amos’ for which he received both a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Most of Morita’s fans are also aware of the fact that he suffered from spinal tuberculosis as a young child and had to spend most of his early years in several hospitals. After entertaining his fans for several years, the actor died due to kidney failure at the age of 73.