Mako
Japanese-American actor (1933-2006)
- Born
- 10 December 1933, Kobe
- Died
- 21 July 2006
- Citizenship
- Japan, United States
- Occupation
- stage actor, film actor, television actor, actor
- Films here
- 8
Makoto Iwamatsu (岩松 信, Iwamatsu Makoto; December 10, 1933 – July 21, 2006) was a Japanese-American actor, credited mononymously in almost all of his acting roles as simply Mako (マコ; MAH-koh). His career in film, on television, and on stage spanned five decades and 165 productions. He was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award.
Born and raised in Kobe, Mako moved to the United States after the Second World War, where his dissident parents had moved to escape political persecution. After serving with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he trained in acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and later co-founded the East West Players. His role as Po-Han (his second credited role on film) in the 1966 film The Sand Pebbles saw him nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Filmography (martial arts films)
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Big Brawl | Cast |
| 1981 | An Eye for an Eye | Cast |
| 1981 | The Bushido Blade | Cast |
| 1991 | The Perfect Weapon | Cast |
| 1992 | Sidekicks | Cast |
| 1995 | Crying Freeman | Cast |
| 1999 | Owls' Castle | Cast |
| 2003 | Bulletproof Monk | Cast |
Frequent collaborators
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q318885 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.