Best known for his role as Mr. Miyagi in , Pat Morita passed away yesterday at his home in Las Vegas. A look at his bio, however, makes it clear that Morita was much more than the guy who said "wax on, wax off."
Born in Isleton, and a graduate of Fairfield's Armijo High School, Morita spent the first 30 years of his life (excepting the period during World War Two he spent in an Arizona internment camp) in Northern California.
It was only as an adult that he realized his desire to perform stand-up comedy (his nickname at that time being "The Hip Nip"), and later to act. A look at his CV illustrates the challenges facing a Japanese-American actor, with many of the roles verging on the stereotypically demeaning. That said, he worked nearly constantly, with three films still in production at the time of his passing.
Survived by his wife and three daughters, Pat Morita was 73 years old.
The Karate Kid
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