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.
Movie | Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie | Aku | 2017-10-16 |
Movie | TMNT | Splinter (voice) | 2007-03-23 |
Movie | Rise: Blood Hunter | Poe | 2007-04-28 |
Movie | The Slanted Screen | Himself | 2006-01-03 |
Series | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Unknown | 2004-09-18 |
Movie | Bulletproof Monk | Mr. Kojima | 2003-03-28 |
Series | Duck Dodgers | Unknown | 2003-08-23 |
Movie | Cruel Game | Straw Hat | 2002-11-27 |
Series | Monk | Unknown | 2002-07-12 |
Movie | Pearl Harbor | Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto | 2001-05-21 |
Series | Samurai Jack | Aku | 2001-08-10 |
Movie | Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' | The Wizard (archive footage) | 2000-05-30 |
Series | The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne | Unknown | 2000-06-18 |
Movie | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Mr. Yamaguchi (voice) | 2000-11-17 |
Series | The West Wing | Unknown | 1999-09-22 |
Movie | The Bird People in China | Shen | 1998-06-10 |
Movie | Seven Years in Tibet | Kungo Tsarong | 1997-09-12 |
Series | Dexter's Laboratory | 1996-04-28 | |
Movie | Balance of Power | Todo Matsumoto | 1996-06-25 |
Movie | Sworn to Justice | Mr. Young | 1996-10-01 |
Series | Platypus Man | Unknown | 1995-01-23 |
Movie | Crying Freeman | Shido Shimazaki | 1995-04-23 |
Movie | Midnight Man | Buun Som | 1995-05-09 |
Series | JAG | Unknown | 1995-09-23 |
Movie | A Dangerous Place | Sensei | 1994-11-14 |
Movie | Red Sun Rising | Buntoro Iga | 1994-09-01 |
Movie | Highlander III: The Sorcerer | Nakano | 1994-11-29 |
Movie | RoboCop 3 | Kanemitsu | 1993-01-21 |
Series | Walker, Texas Ranger | Unknown | 1993-04-21 |
Movie | (Nama) Tôchô Ripôto: Chiwa | 1993-03-05 | |
Movie | Rising Sun | Yoshida-san | 1993-07-30 |
Series | Frasier | Sam Tanaka | 1993-09-16 |
Series | Diagnosis: Murder | Unknown | 1993-10-29 |
Movie | My Samurai | 1992-01-01 | |
Movie | Sidekicks | Mr. Lee | 1992-12-17 |
Movie | The Perfect Weapon | Kim | 1991-03-15 |
Movie | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Sgt. Moritaki | 1990-08-06 |
Movie | Fatal Mission | Trang | 1990-07-25 |
Movie | Taking Care of Business | Mr. Sakamoto | 1990-08-16 |
Movie | Pacific Heights | Toshio Watanabe | 1990-09-28 |
Series | The Paradise Club | Mr. Yamamoto | 1989-09-19 |
Series | The Simpsons | Unknown | 1989-12-17 |
Movie | An Unremarkable Life | Max Chin | 1989-10-12 |
Series | Supercarrier | Unknown | 1988-03-06 |
Movie | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Jimmy | 1988-08-12 |
Series | Paradise | Unknown | 1988-10-27 |
Movie | The Wash | Nobu Matsumoto | 1988-08-17 |
Series | Tour of Duty | Unknown | 1987-09-24 |
Series | Lovejoy | Unknown | 1986-01-10 |
Movie | Kung Fu The Movie | The Manchu | 1986-02-01 |
Movie | Armed Response | Akira Tanaka | 1986-10-01 |
Movie | P.O.W. The Escape | Capt. Vinh | 1986-04-01 |
Series | The Equalizer | Unknown | 1985-09-18 |
Series | Spenser: For Hire | Unknown | 1985-09-20 |
Series | Hawaiian Heat | 1984-09-14 | |
Movie | Conan the Destroyer | Akiro 'The Wizard' | 1984-06-29 |
Series | The A-Team | Pastry Chef | 1983-01-23 |
Movie | The Last Ninja | Aitaro Sakura | 1983-07-07 |
Movie | The Nightingale | Gardener / Minister | 1983-05-10 |
Movie | Girls of the White Orchid | Mori | 1983-11-28 |
Movie | Testament | Mike | 1983-11-04 |
Movie | Conan the Barbarian | The Wizard / Narrator | 1982-04-02 |
Series | Voyagers! | Unknown | 1982-10-03 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | Gardener / Minister | 1982-09-11 |
Series | Flamingo Road | Unknown | 1981-01-06 |
Movie | The Bushido Blade | Enjiro | 1981-06-19 |
Movie | An Eye for an Eye | James Chan | 1981-08-14 |
Movie | Under the Rainbow | Nakomuri | 1981-07-31 |
Movie | The Big Brawl | Herbert | 1980-08-18 |
Series | Magnum, P.I. | Unknown | 1980-12-11 |
Series | The Facts of Life | Unknown | 1979-08-24 |
Movie | When Hell Was in Session | Maj. Bai | 1979-10-08 |
Series | The Incredible Hulk | Unknown | 1977-11-04 |
Movie | Pacific Overtures | Reciter / Shogun / Jonathan Goble | 1976-09-06 |
Movie | Farewell to Manzanar | Fukimoto | 1976-03-11 |
Movie | Prisoners | Sgt. Nguyen | 1975-07-01 |
Series | Khan! | Unknown | 1975-02-07 |
Series | Wonder Woman | Unknown | 1975-11-07 |
Movie | The Killer Elite | Yuen Chung | 1975-12-19 |
Movie | The Green Hornet | Low Sing | 1974-03-21 |
Movie | Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders | Tao Gan | 1974-12-29 |
Movie | The Island at the Top of the World | Oomiak | 1974-12-16 |
Series | Kung Fu | Unknown | 1972-10-14 |
Movie | Yokahama Mama | Rooster (voice) | 1972-12-24 |
Series | Columbo | Kanji Ousu | 1971-09-15 |
Movie | Silence | Kichijiro (as Mako Iwamatsu) | 1971-11-13 |
Movie | The Challenge | Yuro | 1970-02-10 |
Movie | Fools | Psychiatrist | 1970-12-23 |
Movie | The Hawaiians | Mun Ki | 1970-06-17 |
Movie | The Great Bank Robbery | Secret Agent Fong | 1969-06-24 |
Series | Room 222 | Unknown | 1969-09-11 |
Series | Love, American Style | Unknown | 1969-09-29 |
Movie | The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell | Calvin Coolidge Ishimura | 1968-05-08 |
Series | Hawaii Five-O | Unknown | 1968-09-20 |
Series | Mannix | Unknown | 1967-09-16 |
Series | Ironside | Unknown | 1967-03-28 |
Movie | The Ugly Dachshund | Kenji | 1966-02-16 |
Movie | The Sand Pebbles | Po-han | 1966-12-20 |
Series | The Big Valley | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Series | F Troop | Unknown | 1965-09-14 |
Series | I Dream of Jeannie | Unknown | 1965-09-18 |
Series | The F.B.I. | Unknown | 1965-09-19 |
Series | Burke's Law | Unknown | 1963-09-20 |
Series | The Lloyd Bridges Show | Unknown | 1962-09-11 |
Series | 77 Sunset Strip | Unknown | 1958-10-10 |
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