Acting
Mako
EN, JA cinema · 81 credits
Born
10 December 1933
Died
21 July 2006 (aged 72)
Birthplace
Kobe, Japan
Also known as Mako Iwamatsu · Mako Wakamatsu · Μάκο Ιβαμάτσου · Iwamatsu Mako · 岩松信 · マコ岩松
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
Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie
as Aku (voice)
TMNT
as Splinter (voice), In Memory Of
Cages
as Tan
The Slanted Screen
as Himself
Memoirs of a Geisha
as Sakamoto
Bulletproof Monk
as Mr. Kojima
Cruel Game
as Straw Hat
Pearl Harbor
as Admiral Yamamoto
Harsh Canvas: The Art & Life of Henry Sugimoto
as Self - Voice of Henry Sugimoto
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
as Mr. Yamaguchi (voice)
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
as The Wizard (archive footage)
The Accomplice
as Santos
Alegría
as Old Momo
Seven Years in Tibet
as Kungo Tsarong
Riot
as Mr. Lee
Sworn to Justice
as Mr. Young
Balance of Power
as Todo Matsumoto
Midnight Man
as Buun Som
Crying Freeman
as Shudo Shimazaki
Red Sun Rising
as Buntoro Iga
A Dangerous Place
as Sensei
RoboCop 3
as Kanemitsu
Rising Sun
as Yoshida-san
Sidekicks
as Mr. Lee
Nightingale
as Narrator (voice)
Strawberry Road
as Frank Machida
Pacific Heights
as Toshio Watanabe
Fatal Mission
as Trang
Taking Care of Business
as Mr. Sakamoto
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes
as Sgt. Moritaki
Murder in Paradise
as Capt. Kilalo
An Unremarkable Life
as Max Chin
Silent Assassins
as Oyama
The Wash
as Nobu Matsumoto
Kung Fu: The Movie
as The Manchu
Armed Response
as Akira Tanaka
P.O.W. The Escape
as Capt. Vinh
Conan the Destroyer
as Akiro 'The Wizard'
Hawaiian Heat
as Maj. Taro Oshira
The Last Ninja
as Aitaro Sakura
Testament
as Mike
The Nightingale
as Gardener / Minister
Conan the Barbarian
as The Wizard
An Eye for an Eye
as James Chan
Under the Rainbow
as Nakomuri
The Bushido Blade
as Enjiro
The Big Brawl
as Herbert
When Hell Was in Session
as Maj. Bai
Farewell to Manzanar
as Fukimoto
Wataridori: Birds of Passage
as Narrator
Pacific Overtures
as Reciter/Shogun/Jonathan Goble
The Killer Elite
as Yuen Chung
Prisoners
as Sgt. Nguyen
Karate Sensei
as Narrator
The Green Hornet
as Low Sing
Yokahama Mama
as Rooster (voice)
Silence
as Kichijiro, Production Design
If Tomorrow Comes
as Tadashi
The Challenge
as Yuro
The Hawaiians
as Mun Ki
Fools
as Psychiatrist
The Great Bank Robbery
as Secret Agent Fong
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
as Calvin Coolidge Ishimura
The Sand Pebbles
as Po-han
The Ugly Dachshund
as Kenji
McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force
as Japanese Submarine Captain (uncredited)
Never So Few
as Soldier in Hospital