A brand new documentary on actor Pat Morita seeks to transcend his iconic function in “The Karate Child” franchise. “Extra Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story,” directed by Kevin Derek, options the life and profession of the beloved Japanese American comic and actor. Love Venture Movies has lately unveiled the documentary’s first trailer on YouTube.
An Icon Missed
Morita, who died of pure causes on the age of 73 in 2005, is finest identified for his roles as Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Child,” Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi in “Pleased Days,” and the Emperor of China in Disney’s “Mulan” movies, in response to CBR. For his work on ”The Karate Child,” Morita received an Academy Award for Finest Supporting Actor. For his function within the TV film “Amos,” he obtained an Emmy nomination. Extremely referenced within the first three seasons of the Netflix collection “Cobra Kai,” the character of Mr. Miyagi additionally makes appearances in widespread “The Karate Child” spin-offs by way of archival footage.
An Icon Remembered
“Extra Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story” will probably be launched on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and different streaming platforms on Feb. 5, 2021, Entertainment Weekly experiences. The documentary will talk about Morita’s success in movie and tv. It’s going to additionally dive into his battle with spinal tuberculosis all through his childhood, his profession as a humorist and his eventual bouts with drug and alcohol dependancy. The documentary may also function archival footage from previous interviews with Morita, in addition to unique interviews with “The Karate Child” stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, comics Larry Miller and Tommy Chong, and “Pleased Days” actors Marion Ross and Henry Winkler. Within the documentary’s trailer, Winkler describes his “Pleased Days” co-star as a “beautiful, beautiful man.” Zabka remembers the hardships Morita went by way of being “in a forged for 9 years. From his knees to his neck, for his childhood.” “He had a whole lot of interior demons,” says “The Karate Child” co-creator Robert Mark Kamen. “He struggled lots with melancholy.” Morita acknowledged this as a turning level in his life, saying, “That whole chapter of my life modified me perpetually.” Function Picture by way of Love Project Films