# Mako (actor)

Makoto Iwamatsu (岩松 信, Iwamatsu Makoto, December 10, 1933 – July 21, 2006) was a Japanese-American actor, credited mononymously in almost all of his acting roles as simply Mako (マコ), pronounced "MAH-ko". His career in film, on television, and on stage spanned five decades and 165 productions. He was an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee.
Born and raised in Kobe, Mako moved to the United States after the Second World War, where his dissident parents had moved to escape political persecution. After serving with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he trained in acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and later co-founded the East West Players. His role as Po-Han (his second credited role on film) in the 1966 film The Sand Pebbles saw him nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His other various roles included Kichijiro in the 1971 film adaptation of Silence, Oomiak "The Fearless One" in The Island at the Top of the World (1974), 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. Later in his career, he became well known for his voice-acting roles, including Mr. Yamaguchi in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Aku in the first four seasons of Samurai Jack (2001–04), and Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–06).
He died on July 21, 2006, at the age of 72 from esophageal cancer.

## Early life and education

Mako was born Makoto Iwamatsu in Kobe, Japan, the son of children's authors and illustrators Tomoe Sasako and Atsushi Iwamatsu, better known by their pen names Mitsu and Taro Yashima. In 1939, his parents, who were political dissidents, moved to the United States, leaving Mako in the care of his grandmother. Because his parents lived on the East Coast, they were not interned during World War II; instead they opted to work for the U.S. Office of War Information and were later granted residency. They arranged for him to join them in 1949, when he was fifteen years old.
Iwamatsu's father owned an art studio in New York City, and as a teenager, he became acquainted with painter Hiroshi Honda. Though he faced racial discrimination, Iwamatsu bonded with his high-school peers over baseball, and was scouted by the Cleveland Indians.
Though he had an interest in dramatics, Iwamatsu did not believe an artistic career was financially viable, and enrolled in the Pratt Institute School of Architecture while working in his father's print shop.
He later enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1953 and served until October 1955, during which he performed in plays for his fellow soldiers. He then trained at the Pasadena Playhouse and adopted the mononym Mako, as he found most people had difficulty pronouncing his full name. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1956.

## Career
### Film

Mako's first film role was in Never So Few (1959). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as engine-room worker Po-Han in the film The Sand Pebbles (1966). His other roles include the Chinese contract laborer Mun Ki in the epic movie The Hawaiians (1970) starring Charlton Heston and Tina Chen; Oomiak, the Inuit guide, in Disney's The Island at the Top of the World (1974); Yuen Chung in the film The Killer Elite (1975) directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring James Caan, Robert Duvall, and martial artist Takayuki Kubota; the sorcerer Nakano in Highlander III: The Sorcerer; Jackie Chan's uncle/sifu in Chan's first American movie The Big Brawl (1980); the wizard Akiro opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the two Conan movies Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer; the confidant to Chuck Norris' rogue cop in the thriller An Eye for an Eye (1982); and the Japanese spy in the comedy Under the Rainbow. In 1990, he had a minor role in the psychological thriller Pacific Heights along with Matthew Modine, Melanie Griffith, and Michael Keaton; Yoshida-san in Rising Sun; Mr. Lee in Sidekicks; Kanemitsu in RoboCop 3 (1993); and Kungo Tsarong in Seven Years in Tibet (1997).
He also appeared in some Japanese television dramas and films, such as Masahiro Shinoda's Owls' Castle and Takashi Miike's The Bird People in China.
Mako was cast as the historic Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the epic drama Pearl Harbor (2001). He also had a role in Bulletproof Monk (2003). In 2005, Mako had a cameo role in Memoirs of a Geisha. Mako's last leading role was in the film Cages (2005), written and directed by Graham Streeter. He voiced Master Splinter in the film TMNT, released posthumously in 2007 as his final credited role.

### Theater

In 1965, frustrated by the limited roles available to Asian-American actors, Mako and six others formed the East West Players theater company, first performing out of a church basement. During the company's 1981 season, to coincide with the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians' hearings on redress, Mako exclusively produced plays about the Japanese-American incarceration. He remained artistic director of the company until 1989.
Mako's Broadway career included creating the roles of the Reciter, the shōgun, and the Chicago-based inventor of the rickshaw, in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical Pacific Overtures, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Mako's landlord at the time, Jerry Orbach, was also nominated for his role in Chicago; both lost, however, to George Rose from the revival of My Fair Lady. Mako recalled being awoken at 4:30 in the morning after the Tony ceremony by Orbach, who was shouting from the floor below: "Hey, Mako! What the fuck happened? I can't believe it; we lost to a fucking revival!". Mako reprised the role and directed the musical's production with the East West Players, and further reprised the role in a production at the San Jose Civic Light Opera in 1991. He also starred in the limited run of the play Shimada in 1992.

### Television

Mako appeared on the television series McHale's Navy nine times, playing Imperial Japanese officers, soldiers, and sailors. In 1965, he appeared on Gidget as a member of a rival surf group. He appeared as Lo Sing, challenging Bruce Lee's Kato character in The Green Hornet episode "The Preying Mantis". Mako's biggest television role to date came in 1967 in The Time Tunnel, playing a sadistic soldier during the last months of World War II. He appeared in an episode of the series Kung Fu as Wong Ti Lu in 1972.
He later appeared on the television series M*A*S*H, playing multiple roles such as a Chinese doctor, a North Korean soldier, a South Korean medical doctor, and a South Korean lieutenant. In 1974, he appeared in the Ironside episode "Terror on Grant Avenue". He appeared as a Japanese chef in the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" (1978). He was the blind philosopher Li Sung in two episodes of The Incredible Hulk. He also appeared on an episode of Magnum, P.I. entitled "The Arrow That Is Not Aimed" (1983). Mako also appeared in an episode of F Troop. He played the character Lin Duk Coo in an episode of The A-Team, and was featured in season three, episode 13 of The Facts of Life, entitled "The Americanization of Miko". He guest-starred in an episode of season one of Frasier and in an episode of Tour of Duty as a Vietnamese scout. He guest-starred in The West Wing episode "A Good Day" as an economics professor and former rival of President Bartlet.
He guest-starred in the Walker, Texas Ranger episodes "Heart of the Dragon" (1997) and "Black Dragons" (2000), and in the Nickelodeon film Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) as Coco's boss. He appeared on Charmed in 2003, creating magic for Chris (played by Drew Fuller). He was a guest star in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk vs. The Cobra" (2005).

## Voice actor

He was the voice of Aku, the main antagonist in the animated series Samurai Jack for the first four seasons produced from 2001 to 2004, and again in the series finale, which used his original audio. He also voiced Achoo (a parody of Aku) and the annoying alarm clock Happy Cat in a Samurai Jack-parodying episode of Duck Dodgers entitled "Samurai Quack". He provided the introductory voice for the ending theme of Dexter's Laboratory and voiced Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender from 2005 to 2006.

### Video games

Mako made his video-game debut with the role of the goblin Grubjub in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (2003). In the same year, he also voiced General Han Yu Kim in True Crime: Streets of LA, Masataka Shima in Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, and various voices in Secret Weapons Over Normandy. In 2004, Mako voiced the narrator in the game Wrath Unleashed, and Aku in Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku.

## Personal life

Mako was married to actress Shizuko Hoshi, with whom he had two daughters (both of whom are actresses) and three grandchildren.

## Death

Mako died in Somis, California, on July 21, 2006, at the age of 72, from esophageal cancer. Prior to his death, he had completed voice work for TMNT as the voice of Splinter, with the film being dedicated to him.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender season-two episode "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" is dedicated to Mako. In the sequel series The Legend of Korra, main cast member Mako (voiced by David Faustino) is named after him.
After Mako's death, Greg Baldwin replaced him as Aku in Samurai Jack and Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1959 | Never So Few | Soldier in Hospital | Uncredited |
| 1965 | McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force | Japanese Submarine Captain | Uncredited |
| 1966 | The Ugly Dachshund | Kenji | |
| 1966 | The Sand Pebbles | Po-Han | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor — Motion Picture |
| 1968 | The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell | Calvin Coolidge Ishimura | |
| 1969 | The Great Bank Robbery | Secret Agent Fong | |
| 1970 | The Hawaiians | Mun Ki | |
| 1970 | Fools | Psychiatrist | |
| 1971 | Silence | Kichijiro | |
| 1972 | Yokohama Mama | Rooster | Voice, short |
| 1974 | The Island at the Top of the World | Oomiak | |
| 1975 | Prisoners | Sergeant Nguyen | |
| 1975 | The Killer Elite | Yuen Chung | |
| 1980 | The Big Brawl | Herbert | |
| 1980 | Hito Hata: Raise the Banner | Oda | |
| 1981 | Under the Rainbow | Nakomuri | |
| 1981 | An Eye for an Eye | James Chan | |
| 1981 | The Bushido Blade | Enjiro | |
| 1982 | Conan the Barbarian | Akiro The Wizard | |
| 1983 | Testament | Mike | |
| 1983 | The Last Ninja | Aitaro Sakura | |
| 1984 | Conan the Destroyer | Akiro The Wizard | |
| 1986 | Behind Enemy Lines | Captain Vinh | |
| 1986 | Armed Response | Akira Tanaka | |
| 1988 | Silent Assassins | Oyama | |
| 1988 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Jimmy | |
| 1988 | The Wash | Nobu Matsumoto | |
| 1989 | An Unremarkable Life | Max Chin | |
| 1990 | Pu guang ren wu | Trang | |
| 1990 | Taking Care of Business | Mr. Sakamoto | |
| 1990 | Pacific Heights | Toshio Watanabe | |
| 1991 | The Perfect Weapon | Kim | |
| 1991 | Strawberry Road | Frank Machida | |
| 1992 | My Samurai | Mr. Tszing | |
| 1992 | Sidekicks | Mr. Lee | |
| 1993 | RoboCop 3 | Mr. Kanemitsu | |
| 1993 | Rising Sun | Mr. Yoshida | |
| 1994 | Cultivating Charlie | Katsu | |
| 1994 | Red Sun Rising | Buntoro Iga | |
| 1994 | A Dangerous Place | Sensei | |
| 1994 | Highlander III: The Sorcerer | Nakano | |
| 1995 | Midnight Man | Buun Som | |
| 1995 | Crying Freeman | Shudo Shimazaki | |
| 1996 | Balance of Power | Todo Matsumoto | |
| 1996 | Sworn to Justice | Mr. Young | |
| 1997 | Sacred Trust | Mr. Jordan | |
| 1997 | Seven Years in Tibet | Kungo Tsarong | |
| 1998 | The Bird People in China | Shen | |
| 1999 | Alegría | Adult Momo | |
| 1999 | Kyohansha | Police | |
| 1999 | Owls' Castle | Toyotomi Hideyoshi | |
| 2000 | Talk to Taka | Mr. Hiro | Short |
| 2000 | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Mr. Yamaguchi | Voice |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto | |
| 2002 | Cruel Game | Straw Hat | |
| 2003 | Bulletproof Monk | Mr. Kojima | |
| 2003 | Bus Story | Father Christmas | Short |
| 2005 | Cages | Tan | |
| 2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha | Sakamoto | |
| 2007 | TMNT | Master Splinter | Voice; posthumous release; dedicated in memory |
| 2007 | Rise: Blood Hunter | Poe | Posthumous release (final film role) |

### Television

| 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" |
| 1963 | 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 |
| 1964–1965 | Burke's Law | Pete / 'Happy' Tuava | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | I Dream of Jeannie | Kato | Episode: "Jeannie and the Marriage Caper" |
| 1965 | Gidget | Casey | Episode: "The War Between Men, Women and Gidget" |
| 1965 | 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 | Lieutenant Nakamura | Episode: "Kill Two by Two" |
| 1967 | F Troop | Samurai Warrior | Episode: "From Karate with Love" |
| 1967 | 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" |
| 1972 | Room 222 | Mr. Shigematsu | Episode: "Just Call Me Mr. Shigematsu" |
| 1972 | Anna and the King | Sanum | Episode: "The King and the Egg" |
| 1973 | Kung Fu | Wong Ti Lu | Episode: "The Tide" |
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Jack | Episode: "Love and the Fortunate Cookie" |
| 1974–1980 | M*A*S*H | Various Roles | 4 episodes |
| 1974 | Ironside | Phil | Episode: "Terror on Grant Avenue" |
| 1974 | Mannix | Tami Okada | Episode: "Enter Tami Okada" |
| 1974 | Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders | Tao Gan | Television film |
| 1976 | Hawaii Five-O | Kazuo Tahashi | Episode: "Legacy of Terror" |
| 1976 | Farewell to Manzanar | Fukimoto | Television film |
| 1976 | 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" |
| 1979 | Wonder Woman | Mr. Brown | Episode: "Going, Going, Gone" |
| 1979 | Salvage 1 | Toshiro | Episode: "Shangri-la Lil" |
| 1979 | When Hell Was in Session | Major Bai | Television film |
| 1979 | 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" |
| 1982 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | Tanako | Episode: "The Pied Piper" |
| 1982 | The Facts of Life | Mr. Wakamatsu | Episode: "The Americanization of Miko" |
| 1982 | Romance Theatre | Shibata | 5 episodes |
| 1983 | The Gallant Men | Frank Fakuda | Episode: "One Puka Puka" |
| 1983 | The Last Ninja | Mantaro Sakura | Pilot |
| 1983 | The A-Team | Lin Duk Coo | Episode: "Recipe for Heavy Bread" |
| 1983 | Magnum, P.I. | Tozan | Episode: "The Arrow That Is Not Aimed" |
| 1983 | Greatest American Hero | Master of Flowers | Episode: "Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo" |
| 1983 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Gardener / Minister | Episode: "The Nightingale" |
| 1983 | Girls of the White Orchid | Mori | Television film |
| 1984 | Hawaiian Heat | Major Taro Oshira | 11 episodes |
| 1986 | Kung Fu: The Movie | The Manchu | Television film |
| 1987 | Ohara | Toshi | Episode: "Toshi" |
| 1987 | Spenser: For Hire | Tommy Nguyen | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" |
| 1987 | Tour of Duty | Tran | Episode: "Sitting Ducks" |
| 1988 | The Equalizer | Jimmy Thanarat | Episode: "Riding the Elephant" |
| 1990 | Murder in Paradise | Captain Kilalo | Television film |
| 1990 | Paradise | Kao | Episode: "Dangerous Cargo" |
| 1990 | The Paradise Club | Mr. Yamamoto | Episode: "The Rotherhithe Project" |
| 1990 | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Sergeant 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" |
| 1998 | JAG | Ichiro Higashimori | - |
| 1999 | Martial Law | Master Reng | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | 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, Hermit | Voice, 24 episodes |
| 2003 | Lost at Home | Mr. Li | Episode: "Good Will Hunting" |
| 2003 | Black Sash | Master Li | 6 episodes |
| 2003 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | The Ancient One | Voice, episode: "Big Appetite in Little Tokyo" |
| 2003 | Charmed | Sorcerer | Episode: "Love's a Witch" |
| 2003–2005 | Duck Dodgers | Happy Cat, Achoo | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2004 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Narrator | Voice, episode: "A Kick in the Asgard" |
| 2005 | Monk | Master Zi | Episode: "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra" |
| 2005 | The West Wing | Yosh Takahashi | Episode: "A Good Day" |
| 2005 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Master Offay | Voice, episode: "Monster Battle Club Now!" |
| 2005 | Sokoku | Leo | Television film |
| 2005–2006 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Uncle Iroh, additional voices | Voice, 30 episodes |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
| 2003 | Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader | Grumdjum | |
| 2003 | True Crime: Streets of LA | General Han Yu Kim | |
| 2003 | Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | Commander Masataka Shima | |
| 2003 | Secret Weapons Over Normandy | Imperial Japanese Voices #1 | |
| 2004 | Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku | Aku | |
| 2004 | Wrath Unleashed | Narrator | |
| 2020 | Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time | Aku | Archival audio |