For many years, there were a number of very talented actors in Hollywood all of varying Asian descent. All of these actors were highly talented and highly sought-after. The crime of all of it was that through the American ugly plan, no attention was ever paid to Casting them in their particular native skin. It was the they all look alike to us attitude. Even if for example they were born Japanese, they would be cast as Japanese, Chinese, North Korean, South Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian, Samoan, and even at times cast as Native Americans and Hispanics. It did a tremendous disservice to the real talent that these people had. Not
the least of these was
Mako" Iwamatsu (岩松誠 Iwamatsu Makoto, December 10, 1933 – July 21, 2006) was a Japanese American actor, voice actor, and singer. Almost all of his acting roles credited him simply as Mako. He is best known for his roles as Po-Han in The Sand Pebbles (1966) (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), Akiro the Wizard in Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Kungo Tsarong in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He was part of the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's 1976 Broadway musical Pacific Overtures, which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.
TV and movie credits
Year Title Role Notes
1962 The Lloyd Bridges Show Takahashi Episode: "Yankee Stay Here"
1962–1963 Ensign O'Toole Various roles 3 episodes
1962–1965 McHale's Navy Various roles 9 episodes
1963 The Gallant Men Frank Fakuda Episode: "One Puka Puka"
77 Sunset Strip Iko Nakayama Episode: "Stranger from the Sea"
1964 Arrest and Trial Kyoto Episode: "Signals of an Ancient Flame"
1964–1965 Broadside Japanese Commander / Captain Osato 2 episodes
Burke's Law Pete / Happy Tuava 2 episodes
1965 I Dream of Jeannie Kato Episode: "Jeannie and the Marriage Caper"
Gidget Casey Episode: "The War Between Men, Women and Gidget"
The Wackiest Ship in the Army T. Vushikori / Captain Kulijame 2 episodes
1965–1966 I Spy Jimmy / Baby Face 3 episodes
1966 The Green Hornet Low Sing Episode: "The Praying Mantis"
1966, 1968 The F.B.I. Angry Youth / Yoshimura 2 episodes
1967 The Time Tunnel Lt. Nakamura Episode: "Kill Two by Two"
F Troop Samurai Warrior Episode: "From Karate with Love"
Vacation Playhouse Simba Episode: "Alfred of the Amazon"
1968 The Big Valley Wong Lo Episode: "Rimfire"
1970 The Challenge Yuro Television film
1971 If Tomorrow Comes Tadashi Television film
1972 The Streets of San Francisco Kenji Episode: "Pilot"
Room 222 Mr. Shigematsu Episode: "Just Call Me Mr. Shigematsu"
Anna and the King Sanum Episode: "The King and the Egg"
1973 Kung Fu Wong Ti Lu Episode: "The Tide"
Love, American Style Jack Episode: "Love and the Fortunate Cookie"
1974–1980 MAS*H Various roles 4 episodes
1974 Ironside Phil Episode: "Terror on Grant Avenue"
Mannix Tami Okada Episode: "Enter Tami Okada"
Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders Tao Gan Television film
1976 Hawaii Five-O Kazuo Tahashi Episode: "Legacy of Terror"
Farewell to Manzanar Fukimoto Television film
Visions Masu Murakami Episode: "Gold Watch"
1977, 1982 Quincy, M.E. Mr. Yamaguchi / John Moroshima Episode: "Touch of Death"
1978 Columbo Kanji Ousu Episode: "Murder Under Glass"
1978–1979 The Incredible Hulk Li Sung 2 episodes
1979 Supertrain Kirby Episode: "Pirouette"
Wonder Woman Mr. Brown Episode: "Going, Going, Gone"
Salvage 1 Toshiro Episode: "Shangri-la Lil"
When Hell Was in Session Major Bai Television film
A Man Called Sloane Tanaka Episode: "Samurai"
1981 Fantasy Island Kwong Soo Luke Episode: "The Heroine; The Warrior"
1982 Voyagers! Slave Auctioneer Episode: "The Travels Of Marco...And Friends"
Bring 'Em Back Alive Tanako Episode: "The Pied Piper"
The Facts of Life Mr. Wakamatsu Episode: "The Americanization of Miko"
Romance Theatre Shibata 5 episodes
1983 The Gallant Men Frank Fakuda Episode: "One Puka Puka"
Girls of the White Orchid Mori Television film
The Last Ninja Mantaro Sakura Pilot
The A-Team Lin Duk Coo Episode: "Recipe for Heavy Bread"
Magnum, P.I. Tozan Episode: "The Arrow That Is Not Aimed"
Greatest American Hero Master of Flowers Episode: "Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo"
Faerie Tale Theatre Gardener / Minister Episode: "The Nightingale"
1984 Hawaiian Heat Maj. Taro Oshira 11 episodes
1986 Kung Fu: The Movie The Manchu Television film
1987 Ohara Toshi Episode: "Toshi"
Spenser: For Hire Tommy Nguyen Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
Tour of Duty Tran Episode: "Sitting Ducks"
1988 The Equalizer Jimmy Thanarat Episode: "Riding the Elephant"
1990 Murder in Paradise Captain Kilalo Television film
Paradise Kao Episode: "Dangerous Cargo"
The Paradise Club Mr. Yamamoto Episode: "The Rotherhithe Project"
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes Sgt. Moritaki Television film
1991 Lovejoy Toshiro Tanaka 2 episodes
1992 Nightingale Narrator (voice) Television film
1993 Shaky Ground Nakamura Episode: "Stayin' Alive"
1994 Frasier Sam Tanaka Episode: "Author, Author"
1994, 1996 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Li Sung 2 episodes
1995 Platypus Man Mr. Loo Episode: "Dying to Live"
1996–2003 Dexter's Laboratory Narrator (voice) 13 episodes
1997, 2000 Walker, Texas Ranger Dr. Henry Lee / Edward Song 2 episodes
1997 Riot Mr. Lee Television film; segment: "Gold Mountain"
1999 Martial Law Master Reng 2 episodes
7th Heaven Henry Muranaka Episode: "Dirty Laundry"
2000 The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne Kajimori Episode: "The Inquisitor"
2001 Diagnosis Murder Lee Moy Episode: "The Red's Shoes"
2001–2004 Samurai Jack Aku (voice) 23 episodes
2003 Lost at Home Mr. Li Episode: "Good Will Hunting"
Black Sash Master Li 6 episodes
What's New, Scooby-Doo? The Ancient One (voice) Episode: "Big Appetite in Little Tokyo"
Charmed Sorcerer Episode: "Love's a Witch"
2003–2005 Duck Dodgers Happy Cat / Achoo / Additional voices 4 episodes
2004 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Narrator (voice) Episode: "Test of Time/A Kick in the Asgard"
2005 Monk Master Zi Episode: "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra"
The West Wing Dr. Yosh Takahashi Episode: "A Good Day"
Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! Master Offay (voice) Episode: "Monster Battle Club Now!"
Sokoku Leo Television film
2005–2006 Avatar: The Last Airbender Uncle Iroh / Additional voices 30 episodes
1959 Never So Few Soldier in the hospital Uncredited
1965 McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force Japanese Submarine Captain Uncredited
1966 The Ugly Dachshund Kenji
The Sand Pebbles Po-han Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor
1968 The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell Calvin Coolidge Ishimura
1969 The Great Bank Robbery Secret Agent Fong
1970 The Hawaiians Mun Ki
Fools Psychiatrist
1971 Silence Kichijiro
1972 Yokohama Mama Rooster (voice) Short film
1974 The Island at the Top of the World Oomiak
1975 Prisoners Sgt. Nguyen
The Killer Elite Yuen Chung
1980 Hito Hata: Raise the Banner Oda
The Big Brawl Herbert
1981 Under the Rainbow Nakomuri
An Eye for an Eye James Chan
The Bushido Blade Enjiro
1982 Conan the Barbarian Akiro the Wizard
1983 Testament Mike
1984 Conan the Destroyer Akiro the Wizard
1986 Behind Enemy Lines Capt. Vinh
Armed Response Akira Tanaka
1988 Silent Assassins Oyama
Tucker: The Man and His Dream Jimmy
The Wash Nobu Matsumoto
1989 An Unremarkable Life Max Chin
1990 Pu guang ren wu Trang
Taking Care of Business Mr. Sakamoto
Pacific Heights Toshio Watanabe
1991 The Perfect Weapon Kim
Sutoroberi rodo Frank Machida
1992 Sidekicks Mr. Lee
My Samurai Mr. Tszing
1993 RoboCop 3 Kanemitsu
Rising Sun Yoshida-san
1994 Red Sun Rising Buntoro Iga
A Dangerous Place Sensei
Highlander III: The Sorcerer Nakano
Cultivating Charlie Katsu
1995 Midnight Man Buun Som
Crying Freeman Shudo Shimazaki
1996 Balance of Power Todo Matsumoto
Sworn to Justice Mr. Young
1997 Seven Years in Tibet Kungo Tsarong
1998 The Bird People in China Shen
1999 Alegría Adult Momo
Kyohansha Police
Owls' Castle Toyotomi Hideyoshi
2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Mr. Yamaguchi (voice)
Talk to Taka Mr. Hiro Short film
2001 Pearl Harbor Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
2002 Cruel Game Straw Hat
2003 Bulletproof Monk Mr. Kojima
Bus Story Father Christmas Short film
2005 Cages Tan
Memoirs of a Geisha Sakamoto
2007 TMNT Master Splinter (voice) Posthumous release
Rise: Blood Hunter Poe Posthumous release