Everyone remembers Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, the quiet and reserved neighbor who teaches "Daniel-san" martial arts and discipline in The Karate Kid films. Although that might be his most iconic role, it is far from the only time he gave Hollywood a great performance. He was a popular stand-up comedian before he became a working film and television actor, and he appeared in several classics both before and after The Karate Kid.Morita died in 2005 but he left behind an impressive legacy. He made history when he was the first Asian American lead in a U.S. television series, the detective show Ohara, which sadly only lasted two seasons. But that is far from the only thing that Morita did to leave his impression on Hollywood, one that remains to this day.
8 One Of His First Major Roles Was On 'M*A*S*H'
After Morita rose to prominence on the standup circuit he started acting. Morita's first on-screen credit was as a henchman in the film adaptation of Thoroughly Modern Millie. After a few other bit roles, he soon found his way to television where he played a series of characters in single-episode story arcs. Some of his work includes Columbo, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, and Hawaii 5-0. Eventually, he got a two-episode character arc in the classic comedy/drama M*A*S*H. He played Captain Sam Pak.
7 Pat Morita Was In 'Sanford And Son' With Fellow Comedian Red Foxx
Morita continued to do a handful of other television shows but one of the more iconic ones came between 1974-1976 was when he played Ah Chew, yes that was his character's name, in Sanford and Son. Fun fact: the show's star, legendary comedian Red Foxx, was already friendly with Morita because the two of them came up together in the same era of standup comedy. They did several shows together and played many of the same venues before Foxx gave him a role on his sitcom.
6 Pat Morita's First Major Role Came In 'Happy Days'
But the longest-running recurring role Morita had before The Karate Kid was on Happy Days. Morita joined the cast in season 3 when he became the new owner of Arnold's restaurant. His character, funny enough, moonlighted as a martial arts instructor. He reappeared every so often but became a permanently recurring character in the final seasons.
5 Pat Morita Wrote And Starred In His Own Movie Called 'Captive Hearts'
Not long after Happy Days, he got his iconic part in The Karate Kid. After that, he continued to do small roles in film and television, like in shows such as The Incredible Hulk and the Christmas movie Babes In Toyland. But in 1987 Morita got the chance to write and star in his own film, Captive Hearts. The movie tells the story of an American World War II pilot who is captured by a Japanese village only to fall in love with one of the local girls. Sadly, the film only made a few thousand dollars at the box office.
4 He Did A Series Of Educational Videos
Morita continued to work consistently, despite Captive Hearts not taking off as it could have. He stuck with television, he did three more Karate Kid movies (and a short-lived cartoon), and got his short-lived but historic detective show Ohara. He also hosted a series of straight-to-video animated home educational videos called Britannica's Tales Around the World. As one might guess from the series' title, they were produced by the Encyclopedia Britannica.
3 Pat Morita Was In The Nickelodeon Classic 'The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo'
Morita got himself another recurring role on television, this time as the grandfather in the early Nickelodeon series The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. The show paid homage to his role as Ohara as the show followed a teen girl solving mysteries with the help of her much wiser grandfather. The show is considered by many to be a Nickelodeon classic.
2 Pat Morita Was The Emporer In 'Mulan'
Morita also did a lot of voice acting, though he is not credited as much for that as he is for his live-action roles. But one role that Disney fans from the 1990s and early 2000s will recognize is his role in Mulan and its sequel Mulan II. Morita was the voice of the Emperor of China, the unbowed Emperor who rewards Mulan at the end of the film for saving his life. He also reprised the role for the video game Kingdom Hearts II.
1 Pat Morita Was Posthumously Added To 'Cobra Kai'
Morita did a handful of shows and commercials near the end of his life, including reprising his role as Mr. Miyagi in a parody of The Karate Kid for the animated Adult Swim series Robot Chicken. Sadly, the Robot Chicken skit would be one of his last performances. Morita, who struggled with alcoholism his whole life, died of kidney failure caused by a bladder infection in 2005. But he is far from forgotten, although unable to act in the series, his character is referenced and respected frequently in Cobra Kai, the streaming series that is the reboot of The Karate Kid. The show follows the lives of the first film's main characters in the present day, and Daniel-san's enemy, Johnny Lawrence, as he brings the Cobra Kai dojo back to life. So important was Morita to the series, they had to make him a part of the show even though he has been gone for more than a decade. That is how much of a legacy Pat Morita has left behind.