#More than miyagi the pat morita story series

What was the genesis of the documentary film?Д«ack in 2015 when we were making the documentary on Fumio Demura who was the stunt double for Pat Morita, Called 'The Real Miyagi', I met Eveyln, Pat Morita's wife. You can stream More Than Miyagi: The Pat Mortia Story today!!Д¬an we pass on this question? I hate talking about myself:)Дў. IвЂ™ve never made a documentary, but I would imagine director Kevin Derek had an easy time piecing together MortiaвЂ™s life with all the material available and support from his circle of friends.вЂ‹вЂ‹In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here is a documentary that celebrate the Oscar-nominated and icon, Pat Mortia. One of the few actors Asian-Americans can point to as paving the way (not that the door is entirely open today). More Than Miyagi is an engaging documentary about one of the nicest people in Hollywood. ThereвЂ™s a heartbreaking story of how MoritaвЂ™s drinking kept him from being appropriately honored on the Happy Days 30th reunion show. The film ends with this fairytale romance and marriage to his wife, Evelyn, and his lifelong bout with alcoholism. His friend James Hong talks about how tough it was breaking into acting for Asians when many roles went to white actors in вЂњYellow Face.вЂќ Morita recounts how disheartening it was then to be given bit-parts as stereotypical вЂњChinamenвЂќ and then the frustration of typecasting that almost lost him the role as Mr. Pat MoritaвЂ™s life was so rich that the documentary has barely reached the half-way point when we get to The Karate Kid days. He had a lot of friends more than willing to talk about his character and greatness, including his wife, Evelyn Happy Days co-stars Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Donny Most, Anson Williams, and almost the entire cast of The Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Martin Kove. It also helped that Morita never burned bridges. Most of his appearances in movies and television still exist today. The film features countless interviews with the man himself. More Than Miyagi is a celebration of Pat MoritaвЂ™s life, and there is a plethora of source material presented in the documentary.

#More than miyagi the pat morita story series

Of course, the series failed after four-episodes, and he was back to square one, unable to return to Happy Days. Why did Morita leave Happy Days after a few seasons? Because ABC gave him his own television series-the first for an Asian-American. His success was both a blessing and a curse. IвЂ™ll keep hitting on the term вЂњpioneerвЂќ when it comes to Morita. вЂњMoritaвЂ™s good nature and enthusiasm for entertainment presented nothing but opportunity -not necessarily the best opportunitiesвЂ¦вЂќ He almost lost the job because the character was Chinese, and Morita was Japanese a hilarious and ironic story. When Happy Days was on the verge of cancellation after the second season, Gary Marshall took a risk and cast Morita as the iconic Al of AlвЂ™s Diner. MoritaвЂ™s good nature and enthusiasm for entertainment presented nothing but opportunity-not necessarily the best opportunities, but opportunities nonetheless.

It would be a disservice to say MoritaвЂ™s career was pretty typical for Asian actors, only because he was one of a small handful therefore, he was treading new ground. He was good, and when he moved to L.A., his agent/manager Sally Marr immediately began booking him in movies and television, including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Laugh-in, and M*A*S*H. Once he left the hospital, the young Morita was escorted by the FBI to an internment camp for the duration of World War II.ДЄfter the war, Morita would forego college to help his parents run their Chinese restaurant (yes, a Chinese restaurant), and itвЂ™s here that Morita entered the world of stand-up comedy. Thanks to the Shriners, Morita received experimental surgery that allowed him to function as an average person. He suffered from spinal tuberculosis that put him in a full-body cast for most of his childhood.

Pat Morita was born in 1932 in Northern California.

But his life is a much broader story of the struggle for Asians in Hollywood. Miyagi in The Karate Kid series and as Al on Happy Days. There was Bruce Lee, James Hong, and the subject of Kevin DerekвЂ™s documentary, More Than Miyagi, Pat Morita. Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, there werenвЂ™t many Asian actors, or, as they say, вЂњpeople who look like me,вЂќ in film or television.