Pat Morita

Biography

Pat Morita was an American actor and comedian who started out in stand-up before television made him a familiar face. He played diner owner Matsuo Arnold Takahashi on Happy Days from 1975 to 1983, then took the role of karate mentor Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), a part that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination. He returned as Miyagi in The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994). Morita led the television series Mr. T and Tina and Ohara, and he voiced the Emperor of China in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). His credits included Midway (1976) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). He was nominated for an Emmy for the television film Amos, received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1994, and in 2015 the Martial Arts History Museum inducted him into its hall of fame.

73years old at death

Born June 28, 1932Isleton
Died November 24, 2005Las Vegas
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (birth name)Also credited as Noriyuki Pat Morita and Noriyuki Morita

Movie Career

Films: 33
Career span: 54 years1967 to 2021

Genres

Comedy48%, 16 films
Action36%, 12 films
Family33%, 11 films
Drama27%, 9 films
Adventure24%, 8 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
Morita was the first Asian-American lead of a network sitcom, starring as inventor Taro Takahashi in Mr. T and Tina in 1976, a spinoff from Welcome Back, Kotter that ABC canceled after five episodes.
Behind the camera
Morita both wrote the screenplay and acted in Captive Hearts, a romance set during World War II that came out in 1987.

Pat Morita movies on Netflix

More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4as Self / Various
The Real Miyagi2015IMDb rating 7.1as Mr. Miyagi(Noriyuki Morita)…
Rice Girl2014IMDb rating 3.6as Peter Ong
Spymate2006IMDb rating 4.0as Kiro
Elvis Has Left the Building2004IMDb rating 5.1as Man in Turban
Mulan II2004IMDb rating 5.6as The Emperor (voice)
I'll Remember April1999IMDb rating 6.3as Abe Tanaka
Inferno1999IMDb rating 5.2as Jubal Early
King Cobra1999IMDb rating 3.3as Nick Hashimoto
Mulan1998IMDb rating 7.7as The Emperor (voice)
Bloodsport 21996IMDb rating 4.9as David Leung
Bloodsport III1996IMDb rating 4.2as David Leung
Hart to Hart: Secrets of the Hart1995IMDb rating 6.5as Ling Goldberg
Greyhounds1994IMDb rating 6.1as Akira Mochizuki
The Next Karate Kid1994IMDb rating 4.6as Miyagi
American Ninja 51993IMDb rating 3.1as Master Tetsu
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues1993IMDb rating 4.3as The Chink
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies1992IMDb rating 5.1as Chief Koal
Honeymoon in Vegas1992IMDb rating 5.9as Mahi Mahi
Miracle Beach1992IMDb rating 5.5as Gus
Collision Course1989IMDb rating 4.7as Investigator Fujitsuka Natsuo
The Karate Kid, Part III1989IMDb rating 5.4as Mr. Miyagi
Babes in Toyland1986IMDb rating 5.2as The Toymaster
The Karate Kid, Part II1986IMDb rating 6.2as Miyagi
The Karate Kid1984IMDb rating 7.4as Miyagi
Savannah Smiles1982IMDb rating 7.2as Father Ohara
Slapstick of Another Kind1982IMDb rating 2.5as Ah Fong, the Chinese Ambassador
Full Moon High1981IMDb rating 4.8as The Silversmith
When Time Ran Out...1980IMDb rating 4.6as Sam
Midway1976IMDb rating 6.8as Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?1975IMDb rating 3.6as Heshy Yamamoto
The Shakiest Gun in the West1968IMDb rating 6.4as Wong
Thoroughly Modern Millie1967IMDb rating 6.9as Oriental #2

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

The Karate Kid1984 Action, Drama, Familyas Miyagi
IMDb rating 7.4275K votes
The Karate Kid, Part II1986 Action, Family, Romanceas Miyagi
IMDb rating 6.2111K votes
The Karate Kid, Part III1989as Mr. Miyagi
IMDb rating 5.479K votes
Mulan1998as The Emperorvoice
IMDb rating 7.7351K votes
Inferno1999as Jubal Early
IMDb rating 5.212K votes
Honeymoon in Vegas1992as Mahi Mahi
IMDb rating 5.921K votes
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues1993as The Chink
IMDb rating 4.38.3K votes
Mulan II2004as The Emperorvoice
IMDb rating 5.634K votes

Most often with

John G. Avildsen directed four of these films, Alan Mehrez two and Kayvon Derak-Shanian two. Two actors appear in five of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Martin Kove

Ralph Macchio

James Hong

Soon-Tek Oh

Sean Kanan

Danny Kamekona

John G. AvildsenDirector, 4 films Alan MehrezDirector, 2 films Kayvon Derak-ShanianDirector, 2 films

Films together

Martin Kove5 films together, 1984 to 2021
Martin Kove's page
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Self / VariousKove as Himself
- Rice Girl2014IMDb rating 3.6Morita as Peter OngKove as Captain Ron Williams
- The Karate Kid, Part III1989IMDb rating 5.4Morita as Mr. MiyagiKove as Kreese
- The Karate Kid, Part II1986IMDb rating 6.2Morita as MiyagiKove as Kreese
- The Karate Kid1984IMDb rating 7.4Morita as MiyagiKove as Kreese
Ralph Macchio5 films together, 1984 to 2021
Ralph Macchio's page
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Self / VariousMacchio as Himself
- The Real Miyagi2015IMDb rating 7.1Morita as Mr. Miyagi(Noriyuki Morita)…Macchio as Daniel
- The Karate Kid, Part III1989IMDb rating 5.4Morita as Mr. MiyagiMacchio as Daniel
- The Karate Kid, Part II1986IMDb rating 6.2Morita as MiyagiMacchio as Daniel
- The Karate Kid1984IMDb rating 7.4Morita as MiyagiMacchio as Daniel
James Hong4 films together, 1996 to 2021
James Hong's page
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Self / VariousHong as Himself
- Mulan1998IMDb rating 7.7Morita as The EmperorvoiceHong as Chi Fuvoice
- Bloodsport 21996IMDb rating 4.9Morita as David LeungHong as Sun
- Bloodsport III1996IMDb rating 4.2Morita as David LeungHong as Master Sun
Soon-Tek Oh3 films together, 1989 to 2004
Soon-Tek Oh's page
- Mulan II2004IMDb rating 5.6Morita as The EmperorvoiceOh as Fa Zhouvoice
- Mulan1998IMDb rating 7.7Morita as The EmperorvoiceOh as Fa Zhouvoice
- Collision Course1989IMDb rating 4.7Morita as Investigator Fujitsuka NatsuoOh as Kitao
Sean Kanan3 films together, 1989 to 2021
Sean Kanan's page
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Self / VariousKanan as Himself
- The Real Miyagi2015IMDb rating 7.1Morita as Mr. Miyagi(Noriyuki Morita)…Kanan as Himself
- The Karate Kid, Part III1989IMDb rating 5.4Morita as Mr. MiyagiKanan as Mike Barnes
Danny Kamekona3 films together, 1986 to 1992
Danny Kamekona's page
- Honeymoon in Vegas1992IMDb rating 5.9Morita as Mahi MahiKamekona as Niko
- Collision Course1989IMDb rating 4.7Morita as Investigator Fujitsuka NatsuoKamekona as Oshima
- The Karate Kid, Part II1986IMDb rating 6.2Morita as MiyagiKamekona as Sato
John G. AvildsenDirector, 4 films, 1984 to 1999
All films by John G. Avildsen
- Inferno1999IMDb rating 5.2Morita as Jubal Early
- The Karate Kid, Part III1989IMDb rating 5.4Morita as Mr. Miyagi
- The Karate Kid, Part II1986IMDb rating 6.2Morita as Miyagi
- The Karate Kid1984IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Miyagi
Alan MehrezDirector, 2 films, 1996
All films by Alan Mehrez
- Bloodsport 21996IMDb rating 4.9Morita as David Leung
- Bloodsport III1996IMDb rating 4.2Morita as David Leung
Kayvon Derak-ShanianDirector, 2 films, 2015 to 2021
All films by Kayvon Derak-Shanian
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021IMDb rating 7.4Morita as Self / Various
- The Real Miyagi2015IMDb rating 7.1Morita as Mr. Miyagi(Noriyuki Morita)…
Also three films together1 more actor
- Pat E. JohnsonThe Real Miyagi (2015), The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) and The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.