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The originalThe Karate Kidfrom 1984 is widely regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed martial arts action dramas to date, starring Ralph Macchio in the lead as the fan-favorite Daniel LaRusso. While Macchio’s inclusion was one thing, what further made the movie as iconic as it turned out to be was the character of Kensuke Miyagi, who was played immaculately by Pat Morita.
However, even before this masterpiece was brought to life, the late producer Jerry Weintraub almost ruined pretty much all chances of its succeeding and even nearly took away the film’s greatest achievement. This was because the producer was hardcore against the late Morita even auditioning for the role of the fan-favorite coach, believing he was anything but right for the respective role!
The Karate KidAlmost Dropped Pat Morita as Kensuke Miyagi
Of all the characters the film included besidesRalph Macchio‘s Daniel LaRusso, perhaps none was as perfectly fit in their respective role as the late legend Pat Morita fit right in with his respective character of Mr. Miyagi, the wise karate master who transformed LaRusso into an immaculate karate practitioner.
However, the late producerJerry Weintraubwas anything but okay with casting him in this respective role. In fact, he was so against the idea that he reportedly wasn’t willing to allow Morita to even audition and screentest for this iconic character, all because he felt the actor wouldn’t fit in the role because of his being renowned for his comedy.
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During an old interview shared by theTelevision Academy Foundation, Morita explained the same thing, saying:
He wouldn’t even consider me for a reading. Every time my name came up in the casting process, he was adamant: ‘I don’t want a comic. I don’t want a comedian for this role. This is a heavyweight part. I want an actor.’
But the late director JohnAvildsen, who deemedPat Moritato be the perfect choice for the role, wasn’t one to give up. He went on to have a one-on-one reading session scheduled with the actor and recorded him reading to present to Weintraub.
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In fact, he even asked Morita to take the script home since he might need it,regarding which the actor saidin the interview:
That’s the first teeny, teeny, teeny glimpse that hey, maybe I got a shot at something here.
Needless to say, Weintraub was truly impressed and surprised at just how good Morita was after listening to his recording presented by Avildsen. But even then,he needed a lot of convincingto fully embark on the idea that theHappy Daysactor could actually hold his own — something that even required the actor testing 5 times for the role!
Pat Morita Had to Test 5 Times forThe Karate Kid!
During the same interview, Pat Morita then explained how he had to screen test at least 5 times before Weintraub fully approved of the idea of having him onboard as Mr. Miyagi. The actor said:
They bring me in five times. They want to see if I can do it again. Then they bring Ralphie in. … They want to see if there is chemistry. They make us do it again, this time in costume in front of the studio heads. The fifth time, we were on a cold, blank outline stage — no sets, nothing, but in costume — but they shoot it this time for real.
Thankfully,all of this hard work eventually ended up paying offas the actor finally scored the role. As Morita said while talking about Weintraub:
To Jerry’s credit, he gets on the horn and says, ‘Pat, I almost made the worst mistake of my life. I just want to be the first to congratulate you. You got the part of Miyagi.’
Ironically enough, this just could have actually ended up being the worst mistake of Weintraub’s life had he continued to doubt the actor, considering how this very decision to cast him also managed to score the greatest achievement for the movie: Its one and only Oscar and Golden Globe nod, bagged by the late Pat Morita for Best Supporting Actor!
You can streamThe Karate Kid (1984)on Netflix.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
