Karate Kid Turns 40: Pat Morita Always Regretted Doing the Movie for a Reason That’ll Make Your Blood Boil – “Just another washed-up movie star”
Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid films has been one of the most iconic characters in pop culture. The role played a massive part in elevating the late Asian-American star. While it can be stated that it was a blessing for Morita, the late actor had some significant regrets for doing the commercially and critically successful film.
Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid | Columbia Pictures
Typecasting is one of the most prevalent issues in the industry. Several prominent faces like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hugh Grant hustled to come out of it and land more varied projects. As claimed by the late actor’s daughter, Pat Morita also fell into the trap of typecasting after The Karate Kid.
How did The Karate Kid affect Pat Morita’s career?
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita from The Karate Kid
Initially, Pat Morita was not a favorite for the role of Mr. Miyagi. Nevertheless, it turned out one of the best castings after The Karate Kid came out in 1984. The late actor’s performance was so iconic that it is still etched in the fans’ minds even after 40 years.
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While Pat Morita received immense fame and praise for Mr. Miyagi, as described by his daughter Aly Morita, it was also a curse in disguise. As per her interview with Hyphen Magazine, the “weight and loneliness of fame ultimately destroyed” Morita.
Aly Morita described that the combined effect of typecasting along with the lack of roles for Asian Americans in Hollywood back then led her father to not get many projects during the last days of his life. Even after being a favorite among his admirers, he was a “washed-up movie star” in the industry.
At the time of his passing in 2005 at age 73, my father was a forgotten star. He lived in Las Vegas, separated from his third wife, unable to land any jobs because he was too old and still riding on the coattails of his Karate Kid heyday. His fans remembered him; the Asian American community remembered him. But he was of no value to Hollywood. After enjoying the bounty of success for a good 10 years after the first Karate Kid film, he was just another washed-up movie star.
Even though Pat Morita never publicly complained against The Karate Kid, it was extremely hard for him to break the shackles of being cast in similar roles. It is also to be noted that even after several advancements in the industry, typecasting is still a prominent issue.
Who was the initial choice for the role of Mr. Miyagi?
Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai | Toho
Interestingly, Pat Morita was never the first choice for the role of Mr. Miyagi. According to /Film, the makers originally wanted to rope in the Rashomon fame Toshiro Mifune in the role. But, the actor could not speak English which led the role to be passed on to Pat Morita.
Nevertheless, Pat Morita also had some problems of his own before landing the role of Mr. Miyagi. The producer of The Karate Kid Jerry Weintraub did not want Morita to play such a serious role after having a background in comedy movies. Ultimately, after many auditions, Weintraub was also convinced and what happened next is a story well-versed to all.
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The Karate Kid franchise is all set to return with Ralph Macchio from the OG film and Jackie Chan from the 2010 remake joining hands. The upcoming project is currently in development and is slated for a release on May 30, 2025.
The Karate Kid films can be rented on Apple TV+.
The post Karate Kid Turns 40: Pat Morita Always Regretted Doing the Movie for a Reason That’ll Make Your Blood Boil – “Just another washed-up movie star” appeared first on FandomWire.
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