Mako

Acting

Mako

Born December 10, 1933Kobe, Japan144 credits

Mako was born in Kobe, Japan, the son of noted 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. When Mako first joined his parents in the USA, 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.

Known For

Filmography

TMNT
2007TMNT
as Splinter (voice)Movie
Cages
2007Cages
as TanMovie
The Slanted Screen
2006The Slanted Screen
as HimselfMovie
Memoirs of a Geisha
2005Memoirs of a Geisha
as SakamotoMovie
Duck Dodgers
2003Duck Dodgers
as Happy Cat (voice)TV
Bulletproof Monk
2003Bulletproof Monk
as Mr. KojimaMovie
Cruel Game
2002Cruel Game
as Straw HatMovie
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002What's New, Scooby-Doo?
as The Ancient One (voice)TV
Monk
2002Monk
as Master ZiTV
Samurai Jack
2001Samurai Jack
as Aku (voice)TV
Pearl Harbor
2001Pearl Harbor
as Isoroku YamamotoMovie
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
2000Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
as Mr. Yamaguchi (voice)Movie
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
2000Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
as The Wizard (archive footage)Movie
The West Wing
1999The West Wing
as Dr. Yosh TakahashiTV
The Accomplice
1999The Accomplice
as SantosMovie
Alegría
1999Alegría
as Old MomoMovie
Martial Law
1998Martial Law
as Master RengTV
Seven Years in Tibet
1997Seven Years in Tibet
as Kungo TsarongMovie
Riot
1997Riot
as Mr. LeeMovie
Sworn to Justice
1996Sworn to Justice
as Mr. YoungMovie
7th Heaven
19967th Heaven
as Henry MuranakaTV
Balance of Power
1996Balance of Power
as Todo MatsumotoMovie
JAG
1995JAG
as Ichiro HigashimoriTV
Midnight Man
1995Midnight Man
as Buun SomMovie
Crying Freeman
1995Crying Freeman
as Shudo ShimazakiMovie
Platypus Man
1995Platypus Man
as Mr. LooTV
A Dangerous Place
1994A Dangerous Place
as SenseiMovie
Red Sun Rising
1994Red Sun Rising
as Buntoro IgaMovie
Frasier
1993Frasier
as Sam TanakaTV
Rising Sun
1993Rising Sun
as Yoshida-sanMovie
Walker, Texas Ranger
1993Walker, Texas Ranger
as Dr. Henry LeeTV
RoboCop 3
1993RoboCop 3
as KanemitsuMovie
Sidekicks
1992Sidekicks
as Mr. LeeMovie
Nightingale
1992Nightingale
as Narrator (voice)Movie
Strawberry Road
1991Strawberry Road
as Frank MachidaMovie
Pacific Heights
1990Pacific Heights
as Toshio WatanabeMovie
Taking Care of Business
1990Taking Care of Business
as Mr. SakamotoMovie
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes
1990Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes
as Sgt. MoritakiMovie
Fatal Mission
1990Fatal Mission
as TrangMovie
Murder in Paradise
1990Murder in Paradise
as Capt. KilaloMovie
An Unremarkable Life
1989An Unremarkable Life
as Max ChinMovie
The Paradise Club
1989The Paradise Club
as Mr. YamamotoTV
Paradise
1988Paradise
as KaoTV
The Wash
1988The Wash
as Nobu MatsumotoMovie
Armed Response
1986Armed Response
as Akira TanakaMovie
P.O.W. The Escape
1986P.O.W. The Escape
as Capt. VinhMovie
Kung Fu: The Movie
1986Kung Fu: The Movie
as The ManchuMovie
Lovejoy
1986Lovejoy
as Toshiro TanakaTV
The Equalizer
1985The Equalizer
as Jimmy ThanaratTV
Hawaiian Heat
1984Hawaiian Heat
as Maj. Taro OshiraMovie
Hawaiian Heat
1984Hawaiian Heat
as Maj. Taro OshiraTV
Conan the Destroyer
1984Conan the Destroyer
as Akiro 'The Wizard'Movie
Testament
1983Testament
as MikeMovie
The Last Ninja
1983The Last Ninja
as Aitaro SakuraMovie
The Nightingale
1983The Nightingale
as Gardener / MinisterMovie
The A-Team
1983The A-Team
as Pastry ChefTV
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982Faerie Tale Theatre
as Gardener / MinisterTV
Conan the Barbarian
1982Conan the Barbarian
as The Wizard / NarratorMovie
An Eye for an Eye
1981An Eye for an Eye
as James ChanMovie
Under the Rainbow
1981Under the Rainbow
as NakomuriMovie
The Bushido Blade
1981The Bushido Blade
as EnjiroMovie
The Greatest American Hero
1981The Greatest American Hero
as Master of FlowersTV
The Big Brawl
1980The Big Brawl
as HerbertMovie
The Facts of Life
1979The Facts of Life
as Mr. WakamatsuTV
Supertrain
1979Supertrain
as Kirby YamashidaTV
Quincy, M.E.
1976Quincy, M.E.
as John MoroshimaTV
Pacific Overtures
1976Pacific Overtures
as Reciter/Shogun/Jonathan GobleMovie
Farewell to Manzanar
1976Farewell to Manzanar
as FukimotoMovie
The Killer Elite
1975The Killer Elite
as Yuen ChungMovie
Wonder Woman
1975Wonder Woman
as Mr. BrownTV
Prisoners
1975Prisoners
as Sgt. NguyenMovie
The Green Hornet
1974The Green Hornet
as Low SingMovie
Yokahama Mama
1972Yokahama Mama
as Rooster (voice)Movie
Kung Fu
1972Kung Fu
as Wong Ti LuTV
M*A*S*H
1972M*A*S*H
as Major ChoiTV
If Tomorrow Comes
1971If Tomorrow Comes
as TadashiMovie
Silence
1971Silence
as KichijiroMovie
Columbo
1971Columbo
as Kanji OusuTV
Fools
1970Fools
as PsychiatristMovie
The Hawaiians
1970The Hawaiians
as Mun KiMovie
The Challenge
1970The Challenge
as YuroMovie
The Great Bank Robbery
1969The Great Bank Robbery
as Secret Agent FongMovie
Hawaii Five-O
1968Hawaii Five-O
as Kazuo TahashiTV
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
1968The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
as Calvin Coolidge IshimuraMovie
Mannix
1967Mannix
as Tami OkadaTV
Ironside
1967Ironside
as Phil TsangTV
The Sand Pebbles
1966The Sand Pebbles
as Po-hanMovie
The Time Tunnel
1966The Time Tunnel
as Lt. NakamuraTV
The F.B.I.
1965The F.B.I.
as YoshimuraTV
The Big Valley
1965The Big Valley
as Wong LoTV
F Troop
1965F Troop
as Samurai WarriorTV
McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force
1965McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force
as Japanese Submarine Captain (uncredited)Movie
Broadside
1964Broadside
as Captain OsatoTV
Burke's Law
1963Burke's Law
as Happy TuavaTV
Ensign O'Toole
1962Ensign O'Toole
as Yamada, Jr.TV
The Lloyd Bridges Show
1962The Lloyd Bridges Show
as Akai TakahashiTV
Never So Few
1959Never So Few
as Soldier in HospitalMovie
77 Sunset Strip
195877 Sunset Strip
as Ito NakayamaTV
Tony Awards
1956Tony Awards
as Self - Nominee / PerformerTV