As one of the most talked-about figures, Pat Morita has built a significant fortune. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What is Pat Morita's Net Worth?

Pat Morita was a Japanese-American actor who had a net worth of $2.5 million at the time of his death in 2005. Pat Morita was best known for his role as "Arnold" Takahashi on the wildly popular sitcom "Happy Days" (1974-1984) and Mr. Kesuke Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" movie franchise, for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1984. He is also known for appearing in the series "M*A*S*H," "Sanford and Son," "Mr. Tand Tina" and "Ohara." Pat died on November 24, 2005, of liver failure at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 73.

Early Life

Pat Morita was born as Noriyuki Morita on June 28, 1932 in Isleton, California to Japanese immigrant parents Tamaru and Momoe. He had an older brother named Hideo. When he was two years old, Morita developed spinal tuberculosis; he spent the majority of the next nine years at the Weimar Institute, and after that at Shriners Hospital. He was finally released from the hospital at the age of 11 after undergoing extensive surgery and rehabilitation. Immediately upon his release, Morita was transported to the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona, where his family was interned. He was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California. Following the end of World War II, Morita moved to the Bay Area and graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield.

Career Beginnings

In Sacramento, Morita's family operated a Chinese restaurant for a while. After his father was killed in a hit-and-run in 1956, Morita helped run the restaurant with his mother. In the early 60s, he worked as a data processor for the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies. Morita went on to become a department head at Lockheed. Suffering from occupational burnout, he eventually decided to quit the job and venture into show business. Morita started working as a stand-up comic at clubs in Sacramento and San Francisco, but found little success. He had better luck after moving to Los Angeles, where Lenny Bruce's mother Sally served as his agent and manager.

Television Career

Morita had his first significant role on television in 1973 when he played Captain Sam Pak in an episode of the CBS series "M*A*S*H." He returned to the show in 1974 in the same role. Also in 1974, Morita began playing the recurring role of Ah Chew on the NBC sitcom "Sanford and Son," and appeared in the NBC television film "Punch and Jody." He had his biggest television role from 1975 to 1983, playing Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the ABC sitcom "Happy Days." Introduced in season three, his character was the new owner of Arnold's Drive-In, and moonlighted as a martial arts instructor during afterhours. Morita would reprise the role on the short-lived sitcom "Blansky's Beauties" in 1977. The year before that, he starred as inventor Taro Takahashi on the short-lived sitcom "Mr. T and Tina," a spinoff of "Welcome Back, Kotter."

In summary, the total wealth of Pat Morita reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.