| Born June 28, 1932 in Isleton, CA, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita was one of the most prolific Asian-American actors in Hollywood. He was best known as Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid, a role for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
As a child Morita suffered from spinal tuberculosis, and then at the beginning of World War II was placed into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans. He eventually graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield, CA, and began work as a computer programmer. It wasn't long before Morita quit and became a stand-up comic, playing nightclubs with the nickname "the hip Nip." After appearing in a few movies, his big break came when he landed a recurring role on the popular sitcom Happy Days in 1975. He attempted his own show in 1976, but when that failed he returned to Happy Days in 1982. He appeared in a few other movies before being cast in the smash hit Karate Kid, which truly launched his career. Morita had steady work from that point on, with a number of film roles and television appearances to his credit; he lived temporarily in Hawaii doing commercials and theatrical work. Morita passed away in his home in Las Vegas on November 24, 2005 at the age of 73.
Selected Filmography
Thoroughly Modern Millie, 1967
Sanford and Son, 1975 (TV show)
Happy Days, 1975 (TV show)
The Karate Kid, 1984
Alice in Wonderland, 1985
The Karate Kid, Part II, 1986
Babes in Toyland, 1986
Captive Hearts, 1987
The Karate Kid III, 1989
Goodbye Paradise, 1991
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, 1993
The Next Karate Kid, 1994
Timemaster, 1995
King Cobra, 1999
Television appearances including roles on Baywatch, The Outer Limits, Married With Children, Murder, She Wrote, Laverne and Shirley, The Love Boat, Welcome Back Kotter, M*A*S*H, Green Acres, and many others.
Source: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Morita,+Pat | 
