Actor Pat Morita dies

Los Angeles - Actor Pat Morita, best known for his role as a wise mentor in the 'Karate Kid' movie series, has died aged 73, news reports said Friday. Morita died of natural causes in his Las Vegas home on Thursday. He rose to fame as Matsuo 'Arnold' Takahashi in the popular television sitcom 'Happy Days' in the mid 1970's and also had roles in the movies 'Honeymoon in Vegas', 'Spy Hard', 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' and 'The Centre of the World'. Born to a Japanese family of migrant fruit pickers in northern California on June 28, 1932, Morita as a child had spinal tuberculosis and was interned at a camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II. He started his career in show business with a stand-up comedy routine, and eventually would be nominated for a supporting actor Oscar in 1984 for his role as the mentor and karate teacher in The Karate Kid. He reprised his portrayal of 'Mr. Miyagi' in the three sequels, including 1994's 'The Next Karate Kid', starring Hilary Swank. © dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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