Mako Iwamatsu

, born ; 10 December 1933 – 21 July 2006), was a Japanese-American actor. Many of his acting roles credited him simply as Mako, omitting his surname. Mako is known for playing Aku from the first four seasons of Samurai Jack, Master Splinter from the movie TMNT, Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Mr. Lee from Sidekicks.

Personal life
Mako was born in Kobe, Japan. He was the son of famous children's book author and illustrator Taro Yashima. His parents moved to the United States when he was a small child. He joined them there after World War II, in 1949, joining the military in the 1950s. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1956.Mako Biography (1933-) When Mako first joined his parents in the US, he studied architecture. During his military service, he discovered his theatrical talent, and trained at the Pasadena Community Playhouse.

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

Filmography
 Never So Few (1959)
 The Sand Pebbles (1966)
 The Hawaiians (1970)
 Highlander III: The Final Dimension (1994)
 Conan the Barbarian (1982)
 Conan the Destroyer (1984)
 Under the Rainbow (1981)
 Sidekicks (1992)
 RoboCop 3 (1993)
 Dexter's Laboratory (1996-2001)
 Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
 Pearl Harbor (2001)
 Bulletproof Monk (2003)
 Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
 Cages (2005)
 The Bird People in China (1998)
 Owls' Castle (1999)

Television

 McHale's Navy
 M*A*S*H
 The Incredible Hulk
 F Troop
 The Green Hornet
 The A-Team
 Frasier
 Tour of duty
 The Big Brawl
 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
 Monk
 Rise: Blood Hunter
 Pacific Overtures
 Samurai Jack
 Duck Dodgers
 Avatar: The Last Airbender
 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
 The West Wing
 The Slanted Screen

Death
Mako died in Somis, California on 21 July 2006, aged 72, from esophageal cancer. One day before his death, Mako had been confirmed to star in the film TMNT, providing the voice of Splinter. Kevin Munroe, director of the film, confirmed that Mako had completed his recording before his death.Ain't it Cool interview with director Kevin MunroeOn the Set  of TMNT! The finished film was dedicated to Mako.

During an Avatar: The Last Airbender episode, titled "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" (episode 15 of the second season), which comprises several small stories about the main characters, there is a segment titled, "The Tale of Iroh." It features a dedication to Mako, as he was the voice actor for the character Iroh for the first and second seasons. He was also featured in the Memoriam Montage in the 79th Academy Awards.

References

Other websites

 A 1998 interview  about Pacific Overtures

Category:Actors from California
Category:American movie actors
Category:American television actors
Category:American voice actors
Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer
Category:1933 births
Category:2006 deaths
Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States