Pat Morita
Japanese-American actor (1932–2005)
- Born
- 28 June 1932, Isleton
- Died
- 24 November 2005
- Citizenship
- United States, Japan
- Occupation
- film actor, actor, television actor
- Films here
- 5
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was an American actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming known to television audiences for his recurring role as diner owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the sitcom series Happy Days from 1975 to 1983. Morita was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of martial arts mentor Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), which would be the first of a media franchise in which Morita was the central player.
Morita was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead. He also played recurring or featured roles as Captain Sam Pak on M*A*S*H, Ah Chew in Sanford and Son, and Mike Woo on The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. Morita was the voice of The Emperor of China in the Disney animated film Mulan (1998), and its sequel Mulan II (2004).
Filmography (martial arts films)
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Cast |
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Cast |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid Part III | Cast |
| 1993 | American Ninja V | Cast |
| 1994 | The Next Karate Kid | Cast |
Frequent collaborators
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q298799 (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.