Date:December 29, 2005
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Description: I love Pat Morita.
I loved that he was on Happy Days and wasn't typecasted. I loved that he supported VC's feature film, Hito Hata. I loved that he put the 442nd backstory to Mr. Miyagi's character. And I loved that he generously made time for Asian American community events.
I was so sad when my friend called me the day after Thanksgiving to tell me the news. I had planned (procrastinating too long) to go to Las Vegas and make a documentary about him. Party it up on the strip! But instead, I pay tribute to him with this piece.
Production Notes: This story is an exclusive.
After the paparazzi appeared at the funeral in Las Vegas, the family did not want to deal with all the audio and video needs for the Los Angeles memorial. No media was allowed (except for VC who would record it for historical purposes).
I was devastated. I was flying down from San Francisco to do the piece that should have been a documentary, and I was DENIED, spoiled by the entertainment biz.
But this time, being connected at the grassroots level paid off. Amy Kato, who I met through my internship at VC, pointed me to all the folks that I should be interviewing; Greg Watanabe, actor and comedian, gave me an interview and pointed me to the folks involved with Pat's last film, Only the Brave; and gratefully, some members of the family allowed me to record the memorial as long as it was on the downlow.
Many people shared amazing stories and I love this man more than I did before.
Broadcast History : Pacific Time, KQED
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