Morita: Wise Mr Miyagi

Los Angeles, Nov. 26 (Reuters): Pat Morita, the Japanese-American actor who gained fame as the wise Mr Miyagi in the Karate Kid” movies and on the television show Happy Days, has died in Las Vegas at the age of 73.

The Las Vegas Palm Mortuary home said Morita died of natural causes on Thursday.

Morita, who was born in California and sent to a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II, won a supporting actor nomination for his portrayal of the witty karate mentor of a young boy in 1984’s The Karate Kid.

Morita played the wise handyman, Mr Miyagi. who befriended a new boy in town, played by Ralph Macchio, and helped him stand up to bullies by schooling him in Eastern philosophy and martial arts. The film earned Morita the distinction of becoming the first Asian-American to be nominated for an acting Oscar. Morita appeared in the three Karate Kid sequels, the last of which, The Next Karate Kid, gave double-Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank her big break in 1994.