Mako
Biography
Mako was a Japanese-American actor whose film, television, and stage career lasted five decades. Born in Kobe, he moved to the United States after the Second World War, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and trained at the Pasadena Playhouse. His first film role came in Never So Few (1959), and his second credited part, Po-Han in The Sand Pebbles (1966), earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actor. He became known for character roles, among them the wizard Akiro in Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Kungo Tsarong in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He co-founded the East West Players theater company in 1965, created roles in Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical Pacific Overtures in 1976, earning a Tony nomination, and later voiced Aku in Samurai Jack and Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
72years old at death
- Born Kobe
- Died Somis
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
- Makoto Iwamatsu (birth name)Also credited as Mako Iwamatsu, Iwamatsu and Iwamatsu Makoto
Movie Career
- Films
- 35
- Career span
- 58 years1959 to 2017
Genres
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Behind the award
Mako's second credited film role, the engine-room worker Po-Han in The Sand Pebbles (1966), brought him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
A first
Mako's first video game role was Grubjub, a goblin, in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader in 2003. That same year he provided the voice of General Han Yu Kim in True Crime: Streets of LA.
Mako movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
James Hong appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
James Hong's page
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's page
Jeff Bennett's page
Kevin Michael Richardson's page
James Earl Jones's page
Arnold Schwarzenegger's page
Also two films together14 more actors
- Clyde KusatsuRising Sun (1993) and The Perfect Weapon (1991)
- Chuck NorrisSidekicks (1992) and An Eye for an Eye (1981)
- Jaime KingBulletproof Monk (2003) and Pearl Harbor (2001)
- Steve McQueenThe Sand Pebbles (1966) and Never So Few (1959)
- Dean JonesThe Ugly Dachshund (1966) and Never So Few (1959)
- Robert DonnerUnder the Rainbow (1981) and The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968)
- Rosalind ChaoAn Eye for an Eye (1981) and The Big Brawl (1980)
- Sven-Ole ThorsenConan the Destroyer (1984) and Conan the Barbarian (1982)
- Ziyi ZhangTMNT (2007) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
- Gina LollobrigidaThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968) and Never So Few (1959)
- Sab ShimonoSamurai Jack: The Premiere Movie (2017) and When Hell Was in Session (1979)
- Roger YuanBulletproof Monk (2003) and The Perfect Weapon (1991)
- Art CamachoSworn to Justice (1996) and Red Sun Rising (1994)
- Professor Toru TanakaThe Perfect Weapon (1991) and An Eye for an Eye (1981)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Mako's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$1.3 billion
25 of the 35 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 35 films: 25 worldwide figure; 2 never in cinemas; 8 figure not found.
- 25Worldwide figure
- 2Never in cinemas
- 8Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 83% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$449M33.7% of the total
- 2$162M12.2% of the total
- 3$131M9.9% of the total
- 4$107M8.0% of the total
- 5$96M7.2% of the total
- 6$69M5.2% of the total
- 7$55M4.1% of the total
- 8$38M2.8% of the total
$225 millionfrom the other 17 films with a worldwide figure, 17% of the total
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.