The thing about Mako in Toobworld for me personally was that every time I saw him in a show (except for his 'Columbo' episode), I had to check the credits to find out who he was. For some reason I just couldn't remember him from role to role.
Many times this was due to make-up alterations, but also because he didn't fall back on just his basic personality to portray what could have been considered as just another Asian role in lesser hands. He always made distinct choices in his acting to distinguish one role from another, even if they were cut from the same stereotypical cloth.
And I think it serves as a testament to his acting that I would always seek out his identity after seeing him in a show; I don't do that for just anybody.
And his career did start out with playing a lot of stereotypes. But with every role, he gave it all that he had so that it helped open the doors for other Asian actors to get more work. And that was a far better option than the continuance of non-Asian actors playing those roles - Richard Hayden on 'Bewitched', for example. Or even worse - Vito Scotti on 'Gilligan's Island'.
When he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Sand Pebbles", Mako could have just used the cachet from that to further his own career. Instead, he used the impetus from it to create opportunities for other Asian actors. It was his work back then that makes it possible for characters like Dr. George Huang of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' and Lloyd on 'Entourage' today... despite the insults hurled at Lloyd by Ari Gold on the show.
My habit of going back to the credits to find out that the role was indeed played by Mako reached its high point one Sunday last year. After watching my tape from the Friday night broadcast of 'Monk' on the USA Network, I followed that up with the 6 pm airing of an old 'I Spy' episode on the American Life Network.
As I watched the shady but charismatic character of "Jimmy" barter with Kelly and Scott on the espionage show, it never occurred to me that he might be the same actor who played the martial arts mentor Master Zi on 'Monk'.
And his appearance as "Jimmy" only made me wish that somebody could have teamed him up in a private eye show, in what could have been just as big a breakthrough as pairing Bill Cosby with Robert Culp on 'I Spy'. (Kato on 'Green Hornet' doesn't count, because he was still subservient to Britt Reid.)
It never happened. But thanks to the work that Mako did on behalf of other Asian actors, that option was made possible for the Asian actors who followed him.
Despite the progress Asian actors made during his lifetime, Mako remained adamant that many barriers still existed. As he explained in an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 1992:“I go into a young film director’s office these days and he says, ‘Hey man, I know who you are. I grew up watching “McHale’s Navy.” ’ And I think, ‘Oh boy, here we go again.’ ”
TV SERIES
"Hawaiian Heat" (1984) TV Series .... Maj. Taro Oshira (1984)
TV MOVIES
Sokoku (2005) (TV) .... Leo
Riot (1997) (TV) .... Mr. Lee (segment "Gold Mountain")
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes (1990) (TV) .... Sgt. Moritaki
Murder in Paradise (1990) (TV) .... Capt. Kilalo
Girls of the White Orchid (1983) (TV) .... Mori
The Last Ninja (1983) (TV) .... Maturo Sakura
When Hell Was in Session (1979) (TV) .... Maj. Bai
Farewell to Manzanar (1976) (TV) .... Fukimoto
TV PREQUELS & SEQUELS
Kung Fu: The Movie (1986) (TV) .... The Manchu
Hawaiian Heat (1984) (TV) .... Major Oshira
Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders (1974) (TV) .... Tao Gan
If Tomorrow Comes (1971) (TV) .... Tadashi
The Challenge (1970) (TV) .... Yuro
TV RECURRING ROLES
"Black Sash" (4 episodes) as Master Li
- Pilot (30 March 2003)
- Date Night (13 April 2003)
- The Prodigal Son (4 May 2003)
- Prime Suspect (25 May 2003)
"Martial Law" (2 episodes) as Master Reng
- Red Storm (24 April 1999)
- Requiem (1 May 1999)
"Lovejoy" (2 episodes) as Toshiro Tanaka
- Riding in Rollers (1 of 2) (17 May 1991)
- Black Virgin of Vladimir (2 of 2) (24 May 1991)
"The Incredible Hulk" (2 episodes) as Li Sung
- Another Path (27 October 1978)
- The Disciple (16 March 1979)
"I Spy" (3 episodes) as Jimmy
- The Loser (20 October 1965)
- No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise (10 November 1965)
TV GUEST APPEARANCES
"The West Wing" (1 episode)
- A Good Day (2 March 2005) - Dr. Yosh Takahashi
"Monk" (1 episode)
- Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra (28 January 2005) - Master Zi
"Charmed" (1 episode)
- Love's a Witch (19 October 2003) - Sorcerer
"Lost at Home" (1 episode)
- Good Will Hunting (15 April 2003) - Mr. Li
"Diagnosis Murder" (1 episode)
- The Red's Shoes (20 April 2001) - Lee Moy
"The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne" (1 episode)
- The Inquisitor (18 November 2000) - Kajimori
"7th Heaven" (1 episode)
- Dirty Laundry (22 November 1999) - Henry Muranaka
"JAG" (1 episode)
- Innocence (6 October 1998) - Ichiro Higashimori
"Walker, Texas Ranger" (2 episodes)
- Heart of the Dragon (5 April 1997) - Dr. Henry Lee
- Black Dragons (26 February 2000) - Edward Song
"Platypus Man" (1 episode)
- Dying to Live (15 May 1995) - Mr. Lou
"Frasier" (1 episode)
- Author, Author (5 May 1994) - Sam Tanaka
"Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" (1 episode)
- Tournament (18 April 1994) - Li Sung
"Paradise" (1 episode)
- Dangerous Cargo (20 January 1990) - Actor
"The Equalizer" (1 episode)
- Riding the Elephant (9 November 1988) - Actor
"Tour of Duty" (1 episode)
- Sitting Ducks (29 October 1987) - Tran
"Spenser: For Hire" (1 episode)
- My Brother's Keeper (14 March 1987) - Tommy Nguyen
"The A-Team" (1 episode)
- Recipe for Heavy Bread (23 September 1983) - Lin Duk Coo
"The Greatest American Hero" (1 episode)
- Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo (3 February 1983) - Master of Flowers
"Magnum, P.I." (1 episode)
- The Arrow That Is Not Aimed (27 January 1983) - Tozan
"Voyagers!" (1 episode)
- The Travels of Marco...and Friends (3 December 1982) - Actor
"Bring 'Em Back Alive" (1 episode)
- The Pied Piper (19 October 1982) - Actor
"Flamingo Road" (1 episode)
- Double Trouble (23 February 1982) - Actor
"The Facts of Life" (1 episode)
- The Americanization of Miko (20 January 1982) - Mr. Wakamatsu
"Fantasy Island" (1 episode)
- The Heroine/The Warrior (24 January 1981) - Kwong Soo Luke
"A Man Called Sloane" (1 episode)
- Samurai (24 November 1979) - Actor
"Supertrain" (1 episode)
- Pirouette (7 March 1979) - Kirby
"Wonder Woman" (1 episode)
- Going, Going, Gone (12 January 1979) - Mr. Brown
Columbo: Murder Under Glass (1978) (TV) .... Kanji Ousu
"Quincy M.E." (2 episodes)
- Touch of Death (2 December 1977) - Mr. Yamaguchi
- Sword of Honor, Blade of Death (15 December 1982) - John Moroshima
"Visions" (1 episode)
- Gold Watch (11 November 1976) - Masu Murakami
"Hawaii Five-O" (1 episode)
- Legacy of Terror (1 January 1976) - Kazuo Tahashi
"Mannix" (1 episode)
- Enter Tami Okada (17 November 1974) - Tami Okada
"M*A*S*H" (4 episodes)
- Rainbow Bridge (17 September 1974) - Dr. Lin Tam
- Hawkeye Get Your Gun (30 November 1976) - Major Choi
- Guerilla My Dreams (1 October 1979) - Lt. Hung Lee Park
- The Best of Enemies (17 November 1980) - Li Han
"Love, American Style" (1 episode)
-Love and the Fortune Cookie/Love and the Lady Prisoner/Love and the Opera Singer/Love and the Weighty Problem (2 November 1973) - (segment "Love and the Fortune Cookie")
"Kung Fu" (1 episode)
- The Tide (1 February 1973) - Wong Ti Lu
"The Streets of San Francisco" (1 episode)
- Pilot (16 September 1972) - Kenji
"The F.B.I." (1 episode)
- Southwind (3 March 1968) - Yoshimura
"The Big Valley" (1 episode)
- Rimfire (16 February 1968) - Wong Lo
"Vacation Playhouse" (1 episode)
- Alfred of the Amazon (31 July 1967) - Simba
"The Time Tunnel" (1 episode)
- Kill Two by Two (6 January 1967) - Lt. Nakamura
"F Troop" (1 episode)
- From Karate with Love (5 January 1967) - Actor
"The Green Hornet" (1 episode)
- The Preying Mantis (18 November 1966) - Low Sing
"Gidget" (1 episode)
- The War Between Men, Women and Gidget (8 December 1965) - Casey
"I Spy" (3 episodes)
- Court of the Lion (2 February 1966) - Baby Face
"Amos Burke, Secret Agent" (1 episode)
- The Prisoners of Mr. Sin (27 October 1965) - Happy Tuava
"I Dream of Jeannie" (1 episode)
- The Marriage Caper (9 October 1965) - 4. Kato
"Burke's Law" (1 episode)
- Who Killed April? (31 January 1964) - Pete
"77 Sunset Strip" (1 episode)
- Stranger from the Sea (15 March 1963) - Iko Nakayama
"The Gallant Men" (1 episode)
- One Puka Puka (2 March 1963) - Frank Fakuda
"The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1 episode)
- Yankee Stay Here (13 November 1962) - Takahashi
"McHale's Navy" (7 episodes)
- Movies Are Your Best Diversion (8 November 1962) - The Japanese Sentry
- The Captain's Mission (10 January 1963) - First Japanese
- One Enchanted Weekend (28 March 1963) - Captain Uzaki
- McHale and His Schweinhunds (30 September 1963) - Lt. Yamasake
- Have Kimono, Will Travel (21 October 1963) - First Japanese Soldier
- A Letter for Fuji (9 December 1963) - Third Japanese Soldier
- The Balloon Goes Up (13 January 1964) - Sessua
CINEVERSE CONNECTIONS
Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994) .... Nakano
~~~~~
THE TOONIVERSE
(TV SERIES)
"Samurai Jack" (2001) TV Series (voice) .... Aku
"Dexter's Laboratory" (1996) TV Series (voice) .... Main Title Narrator
[RECURRING ROLES]
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" (9 episodes) as Uncle Iroh
- When There Was You and Me (13 February 2005)
- The Southern Air Temple (25 February 2005)
- The Avatar State (17 March 2006)
- Avatar Day (28 April 2006)
- The Desert (14 July 2006)
- Seventy-Three Wives (15 September 2006)
- Secret of the Fire Nation (30 September 2006)
- The Last Koufus (15 December 2006)
- The Failure (29 December 2006)
"Duck Dodgers" (3 episodes) as Happy Cat
- Hooray for Hollywood Planet (1 November 2003)
- Queen Is Wild, The/Back to the Academy (8 November 2003)
- Surf the Stars/Samurai Quack (4 February 2005) also as Achoo
(GUEST APPEARANCES)
"Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!" (1 episode) Monster Battle Club Now! (19 December 2005) - Master Offay (voice)
"Grim & Evil" (1 episode) Test of Time/A Kick in the Asgard (16 October 2004) - Narrator (voice)
"What's New, Scooby-Doo?" (1 episode) Big Appetite in Little Tokyo (13 September 2003) - The Ancient One (voice)
(CONNECTIONS TO THE CINEVERSE)
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II (2000) (voice) .... Mr. Yamaguchi
______________________________________
TOOBWORLD NOTES:
Mako could have played the same character of "Li Sung" in episodes of 'The Incredible Hulk' and in one episode of 'Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'
I am unsure as to whether or not "Baby Face" and Jimmy were one and the same character in episodes of 'I Spy'.
Mako played characters named Takahashi in episodes of 'The West Wing' and 'The Lloyd Bridges Show'. These could be the same character, but from different TV dimensions. If so, the dimensional differences would splain away any discrepancies between the two characters.
As he did in the pilot episode of 'The Streets Of San Francisco', Mako played a character named Kenji in "The Ugly Dachshund". But although this was presented as episodes of the 'Disneyland' show, it was actually a movie that belongs in the Cineverse. So they couldn't be the same character.
'Burke's Law' and 'Amos Burke, Secret Agent' take place in two separate TV dimensions.
I don't think the Dr. Henry Lee from the episode of 'Walker, Texas Ranger' would be the same as the real-life forensics expert, but I could be wrong. Dr. Lee does have a televersion.....
BCnU....
Tele-Toby
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