Pat Morita
Pat Morita was the original Arnold on “Happy Days” and Mr. Miyagi in the “Karate Kid” films. Pat was nominated for an Oscar for that role. He also played Captain Sam Pak on M*A*S*H and Ah Chew in “Sanford and Son.” Morita was born in California to Japanese immigrant parents. In his years as a comedian, he would describe his parent’s Chinese restaurant as, operated in a black neighborhood with a clientele of blacks, Filipinos and everybody else who didn’t fit in any of the other neighborhoods. While a comic he opened for Redd Foxx, Connie Stevens and Vic Damone. The last time I saw pat was in a small restaurant in Las Vegas. My friend Gene told me not to go up to him while he was having dinner. He was such a nice person that I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded a quick hello. By the time we finished eating, he was gone.
