The Karate Kid producers didn’t want Pat Morita to play Mr. Miyagi

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It's hard to believe anyone else playing Mr. Miyagi in THE KARATE KID and subsequent sequels, especially since his portrayer, Pat Morita, became so synonymous in the role. Morita became known on and off-screen as the popular character and it's something that stayed with him until his passing in 2005 at the age of 73. Despite how much fans loved him as the character, Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso in the films and has since reprised the role on the popular series, Cobra Kai, has revealed that the studio and producers of THE KARATE KID were very skeptical to cast him. 

Morita was best known for playing Arnold on Happy Days before his turn in THE KARATE KID and this could be why when it came time to cast the film, Morita's name wasn't even on the list of actors the studio was compiling for the project at the time. During a sitdown with "Vanity Fair", Macchio explained why they were reluctant:

"Who was going to play Mr. Miyagi? They were talking about Toshiro Mifune, the great Japanese actor who didn't speak any English, so that would have been a challenge. But all the sudden Arnold from Happy Days shows up on videotape from Pat Morita and the studio did not want him. The producer did not want him. I was like, 'Arnold, from Happy Days?' But John Avildsen was like, 'I've read him and I've read you and I'm putting you guys in a room together."

John Avildsen directed THE KARATE KID and was adamant that Morita would be right for the part, especially after he saw Morita and Macchio read together. Macchio goes on to explain the magic took place when the clicked during readings:

"Pat Morita and I got in a room together, just grabbed the pages, started reading. It was effortless. That magic that happened on the screen happened the first day we picked up the pages. [Morita] had Miyagi in his skin, in his mind, in his consciousness. I for whatever the reason, had the yin to the yang, literally the balance, that was the beginning of the cinema magic that resonates to this day."

It's good that the producers and studio did not get their way because Morita really IS Mr. Miyagi and you can tell he embodies the character. Perhaps the biggest validation for Morita is that the film earned him huge industry accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. I doubt anyone saw that coming and it just shows that sometimes the less obvious choice might be the right one.

Despite Pat Morita not being with us anymore, Mr. Miyagi's legacy lives on through the Netflix series, Cobra Kai. His influence is all over the show and that's thanks to the impression Morita left on the screen. Can YOU see anyone else playing Mr. Miyagi?