Kathleen Yamachi was the first wife of American actor and comedian Noriyuki Morita. A lot of you might be more familiar with the name Pat Morita or his stage name Mr. Miyagi, the name he got from his role in the movie ‘Karate Kid’ which featured the famous Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith a few years later.
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Pat Morita was married thrice in his lifetime and Kathleen Yamachi was his first wife. They were married for 14 years and eventually divorced. After their divorce, he got married to other women and those marriages also ended in divorces.
We have all the details concerning Kathleen and Pat Morita marriage and other important information. Keep reading to be informed.
Kathleen Yamachi Age, Birthplace, Nationality
There is about zero personal information about Pat Morita first wife, Kathleen Yamachi on the internet except information she shares with her ex-husband. She seem a private persona nd has successfully kept her personal data away from the internet.
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On the other hand, American Actor Pat Morita whose birth name was Noriyuki Morita was born on 28th June, 1932 in Isleton, California, United States. He contracted spinal tuberculosis around the age of two and spent nine years of his life at the Weimar sanitarium in a full body cast, fighting for his life.
He was discharged at the age of 11, after experimental spinal surgery granted him the ability to walk. After discharge, he was sent to join his family who were moved by the U.S. government to an internment camp in Arizona during the second world war, this was a fate suffered by many Japanese and Japanese Americans.
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His father died in a hit and run car accident and he was actually raised by his aunt whom he thought was his biological mother. It turned out he was abandoned by his mother. All these contributed hugely to his alcoholism since he never recovered from dealing with his demons.
Kathleen Yamachi Ex-Husband
Noriyuki Morita was 73 years old when he died. He is most remembered for his interesting role as “Kesuke Miyagi” in The Karate Kid Film Series (1984-1994). His zodiac sign is Cancer. Noriyuki was a Japanese-American actor and comedian.
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He was known for his roles as Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi on Happy Days, Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid film series, Captain Sam Pak on the sitcom MAS*H, Ah Chew in Sanford and Son, Mike Woo in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, and The Emperor of China in Mulan and Mulan II. He was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama.
The two shows made history for being part of the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead. Noriyuki was nominated for the 1984 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, his only nomination ever, which was be the first of a media franchise where he was the central player.
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As at his death, his net worth was said to be about five million dollars which was gathered over the years in his career in the entertainment industry. On November 24, 2005, Morita died of kidney failure at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada leaving behind his third wife Evelyn and three daughters from his first two marriages.
Kathleen Yamachi and Pat Morita
Pat Morita and Kathleen Yamachi got divorced after a marriage of about 14 years and it seemed it didn’t end on a good note since People reported in 1986 that the actor “bristles now when his first family is mentioned.”
Their daughter Aly wrote in the Hyphen magazine that Yukiye Kitahara was his second wife whom he married in 1970, with a reception at the Playboy Club. Noriyuki and Kitahara had two daughters, Aly and Tia according to people.
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None of the former lovers ever disclosed the reason for their divorce to the general public. There is no detail on whether they had been in any relationship before they meet, but after the divorce Morita got married twice.
Kathleen Yamachi, Pat Morita first wife on the other hand went back to her low profile life and nothing has been heard of her since then.