| Friday, November 25, 2005 |
| Goodbye, Mr. Myagi |
How sad.
Pat Morita, Mr. Miyagi of 'The Karate Kid,' dies at 73
By Tim Molloy
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:14 p.m. November 25, 2005
Associated Press
Actor Pat Morita poses for a photo in this 1986 file photo.
LOS ANGELES – Actor Pat Morita, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid," has died. He was 73.
Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on "Happy Days," had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."
In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills...
..Morita "was a truly generous actor, a gifted comic, and an even greater friend," Macchio said in a statement. "He had touched so many lives with his vast body of work. It was both my honor and privilege to have worked with him and create a bit of cinema magic together. My life is all the richer for having known him. I will miss his genuine friendship."
"Forever my Sensei," Macchio added, referring to Morita's role in "The Karate Kid..."
I, being the child of the 80s that I am, LOVED The Karate Kid. The first one. I remember the theater where I saw the movie. I remember waiting outside the doors for the previous showing to finish. My friends and I were so excited. I saw it 3 times in the theater, I think. One of my favorite scenes was at the end when Mr. Myagi was about to deliver a hit(?) to the other mean sensai and instead squeezed his nose and said, "Honk!" To this day I can still quote many lines from the movie. Yep, just another 80s movie that I loved. Big surprise, huh?
Wax on...wax off... |
posted by Angie @ 7:27 PM   |
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| 3 Comments: |
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Hard to believe he's gone... I feel old!
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Oh, I know! I was so sad to hear he died! I loved that movie too. I also saw it in the theater during the summer between sixth and seventh grade.
I also remember the tragedy of learning that Ralph Macchio was actually ten years older than the character he played. I thought, NOOOOO he's too old for me now! Hee. :-)
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Hard to believe he's gone... I feel old!