The Karate Kid Producers Didnt Want To Cast Pat Morita As Mr Miyagi

The Karate Kid Producers Didn’t Want To Cast Pat Morita As Mr. Miyagi

The Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio dishes that producers of the film were reluctant to cast Pat Morita in the role of sensei Mr. Miyagi.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

The Karate Kid Producers Didnt Want To Cast Pat Morita As Mr Miyagi

The Karate Kid producers were initially hesitant to cast Pat Morita as the iconic Mr. Miyagi. The Karate Kid premiered in 1984 as a martial arts drama film; it subsequently became the first in The Karate Kid franchise. More specifically, the film follows teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who learns karate from Mr. Miyagi in order to defend himself from bullies.

Mr. Miyagi quickly cemented himself as a fan-favorite of the franchise, in part through Morita’s thrilling performance. Mr. Miyagi is introduced as a handyman who lives in the same building as Daniel and his mother. After Johnny and Cobra Kai beat Daniel senseless, Mr.Miyagi unexpectedly saves him and decides to become his sensei. As a result of Mr. Miyagi’s training, Daniel is able to beat Johnny in the All Valley Under 18 Karate Champion tournament. Later on, Mr. Miyagi makes appearance in both The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III, with the former diving more into the sensei’s backstory. But it turned out producers were originally extremely reluctant to cast Morita in the role of Mr. Miyagi.

In an interview with Vanity Fair. The Karate Kid star Macchio highlights that picking who would play Mr. Miyagi was a particularly agonizing point for producers. While Toshiro Mifune was initially considered for the role, Macchio explained that he “didn’t speak any English, so that would have been a challenge.” What’s more, when Morita’s name was first brought up after his acting credentials as Arnold on sitcom Happy Days, producers remained uncertain about him. Macchio explained:

See also  Wonder Woman 1984 Barbara Getting Two Wishes Breaks Max Lords Plan

But all of a sudden Arnold from Happy Days shows up on video tape from Pat Morita and the studio did not want him. The producer did not want him. I was like, ‘Arnold, from Happy Days?’ But John Avildsen was like, ‘I’ve read him and I’ve read you and I’m putting you guys in a room together. Pat Morita and I got in a room together, just grabbed the pages, started reading. It was effortless.

In the end, Macchio remembers that Morita was brought in to read opposite of him, and the chemistry between the two was “effortless.” Macchio highlights the sense of “magic” in the room as soon as the two “picked up the pages,” emphasizing that Miyagi was instantly a part of Morita. While producers may have been hesitant on casting Morita at first, the read was enough to convince them that Morita was, without question, the Mr. Miyagi they had been looking for. In fact, Morita’s performance as Mr. Miyagi is so instrumental to The Karate Kid’s success, it’s difficult to imagine what the movie would’ve been like with another actor in the role. And It’s unclear if it would’ve been as successful.

Although Morita almost didn’t land the role, it’s clear through his performance in The Karate Kid films that there’s no better fit for Mr. Miyagi. Morita brings a kind of presence to the screen that few have been able to in the past, and his grasp on Miyagi’s character is so clear that it’s difficult to think he’s only stepping into a role. Perhaps it really was Macchio who put it best – Morita as Mr. Miyagi is truly nothing short of magic.

See also  Gal Gadot Reveals How Wonder Woman Would Handle Sexual Harassment

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/karate-kid-movie-cast-pat-morita-miyagi-studio/

Movies -