uncle. After he was cast and although he had been using the name Pat for years, Weintraub suggested that he be billed with his given name to sound "more ethnic." In the first film, in The Karate Kid (1984), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a corresponding Golden Globe Award, for his role as the wise karate teacher Mr. Miyagi who taught bullied teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) the art of Goju-ryu karate . He was recognized as Noriyuki "Pat" Morita at the 57th Academy Awards ceremony. He reprised the role two more times with Macchio in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). In 1994, he starred in The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank (as a bullied teenager Julie Pierce) instead of Macchio. Although Morita died in 2005, Macchio wrote in an imaginary 2022 letter to him that (due to the 2018–present show Cobra Kai) the "legacy of your work and contribution to the world in your portrayal of Mr. Miyagi shines brighter than ever." Cobra Kai itself is structured through the concept of the Miyagi-verse, a phrase which refers to the fact that "anyone who knew Mr. Miyagi" is potentially capable of appearing in the series. References External links Ralph Macchio on His Friend and 'Karate Kid' Costar Pat Morita: His Legacy 'Shines Brighter Than Ever' - People, November 6, 2022 Pat Morita discusses getting cast as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid Daniel and Mr. Miyagi auditions, 1983 THE KARATE KID 1983 REHEASAL MOVIE PART 5.mov The Karate Kid: The Lessons Come Together The Karate Kid II: No Mercy The Karate Kid II: Mr. Miyagi Fights The Karate Kid III: Miyagi Makes a Stand The Next Karate Kid: Julie's Training Scene The Next Karate Kid: Miyagi Finishes Dugan Drama film characters Film characters introduced in 1984 Fictional Bronze Star Medal recipients Fictional characters from California Fictional Gōjū-ryū practitioners Fictional illeists Fictional immigrants to the United States Fictional Japanese American people Fictional male martial artists Fictional martial arts trainers Fictional mechanics Fictional Medal of Honor recipients Fictional military personnel in films Fictional Ryukyuan people Fictional Silver Star recipients Fictional staff sergeants Martial artist characters in films Okinawa Prefecture in fiction The Karate Kid (franchise) characters Fictional United States Army personnel Fictional World War II veterans