![]() Subsequently, I felt a lack in how Morita’s first marriages, later life and his interpersonal struggles were documented – especially with his former manager referencing depleted funds because of divorcing and his children declining to be interviewed ( click here for a 2010 read from Morita’s daughter Aly that offers additional insight). His third wife Evelyn Guerrero-Morita, from whom Pat was separated before his death, serves as an executive producer, and is featured prominently in the doc – both with interviews and contributing memorabilia used. Miyagi of “The Karate Kid” – a film that would spawn three additional, inspire the current Netflix hit “ Cobra Kai,” and earn Morita an Oscar nod. Of course, Morita’s most famous role would come years later with the beloved character Mr. T and Tina,” which unfortunately failed in the ratings and was cancelled after a year. Morita left the latter to star in the first Asian-American sitcom “Mr. His journey from working at his family’s Chinese restaurant, in the aerospace industry, to entering show business, initially as a stand-up comedian, is explored in the film – with a brief mention of Morita’s first two marriages that occurred within that timeframe and the three children that resulted.Īfter struggling and paying his dues, Morita landed several breaks – co-starring in shows such as “Sanford and Son” and “Mash” – with the biggest being his role as Arnold on the popular 70’s sitcom “Happy Days.” ![]() In addition to those traumas, young Pat had familial struggles – that included learning the person he’d known as his birth mother was his aunt and his biological mother had rejected him after birth. Once discharged from Shriner’s Hospital, where he spent a large portion of life in a full body cast, he was escorted directly to an internment camp to join his family during the second World War – and subsequently dealt with the isolation, prejudices and discrimination that followed. The film highlights Morita’s early life as a Japanese American child, who was diagnosed with Spinal Tuberculosis (Pott’s Disease) and didn’t learn to walk until he was 9 years old. ![]() ![]() The new documentary chronicling the life of the late Pat Morita, MORE THAN MIYAGI: THE PAT MORITA STORY, shares an all too familiar tale of a tortured artist, who suffered from a variety of physical and social ailments and unfortunately passed away at the bottom of his career without widespread appreciation of his contributions to the craft. ![]()
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