credit: The Karate Kid
Pat Morita made history with The Karate Kid film series. His image is still used in memes, on posters, and around the world, even decades after his death. He is a man who made an impact with one role, with the script handed to him, and it made him famous. He was, of course, already famous. Pat Morita was a regular on the hit show Happy Days long before he starred as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. He was the affable Matsuo Arnold Takahashi in Happy Days, and fans loved him. The world lost a legend in the fall of 2005 with Pat Morita’s passing. Sadly, he never saw his famous movie brought back to life in a television series, but fans still love him. In fact, many of his fans want to know the answer to the question: How old was Pat Morita in The Karate Kid?
1. How Old Was Pat Morita in The Karate Kid?
It’s a great question, and it’s one we can answer. Pat Morita was born on June 28, 1932. He was born Noriyuki Morita. His parents were both from Japan, but he was born following their big move to California. He was the baby of the family, and he also came much later than his brother. His brother was twelve years older than he was, born in 1920. When Pat Morita took on his role as Mr. Miyagi in the first Karate Kid movie, he was 52. The movie was filmed in 1984, and he was born in 1932. The thing about Morita is that he was already 30 when he became an actor, so he had a later start than many in those days.
credit: The Karate Kid
2. Did You Know Pat Morita Suffered From a Serious Health Condition?
He’s a man who made himself famous with martial arts in the movies, and many fans are shocked to learn that his health was not good. Morita was two when his doctor discovered he was living with spinal tuberculosis. For nearly nine years after that, he lived at the Weimar Institute and the Shriner’s Hospital. He spent the vast majority of his childhood in a full-body cast due to his disease, and his doctors were adamant that he would not walk again. Fortunately, many spinal surgeries and years in the hospital taught him to walk again, and he was able to leave at the age of 11, living a relatively normal life.
3. The Movie Business Was not His Dream
Growing up, Morita had a rough life. His health gave him little reason to think that he would walk again, and he didn’t see himself becoming a famous actor. He and his family actually operated a Chinese restaurant in California. His father, unfortunately, was killed in a car accident – a hit-and-run, which makes it even worse. He and his mom were not able to keep the restaurant open for more than a few years following his death, and Morita had to take a day job. Morita went into data processing. He had a new baby and a wife at home, and his family needed the income. He hated it. Tired, burnt out, and feeling like he was made to live a much bigger life, he left his job and decided to try acting. It worked, by the way.
credit: The Karate Kid
4. Who Was Pat Morita’s Wife?
Which one? He had three of them. He married Kathleen Yamachi in 1953 when he was in his early 20s. Their marriage lasted approximately 14 years, but they ultimately divorced in 1967. His second marriage was to Yukiye Kitahahra. They wed in 1970, and their marriage was even longer. They didn’t divorce until 1989, which means they were married for 19 years. He married his third wife in 1994. Her name is Evelyn Guerrero, and they were married until his death in 2005. He is the father of three children.
5. Pat Morita Met His Third Wife When She Was 15
We don’t know the context of their meeting, but we do know that they met when Evelyn was a teenager. They did not get together then. In fact, she was born in 1949, so they met in 1964. Morita, at the time, was already married to his first wife. He was 17 years older than she was, so he was around 32 when they met for the first time. There was nothing going on between them, but it would be another 30 years before they’d cross paths again and end up married. She has not remarried since her husband’s death, and Pat Morita was her only husband.
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