Mako Passes Away

[filkertom]

Thanks to drzarron for letting us know that character actor Mako Iwamatsu has passed away at the age of 72. His remarkable career spanned 45 years. He's probably best known 'round here as a voice actor in animation (most notably Aku in Samurai Jack).

Comments

[illusionmajik.livejournal.com]

Wow :(
He's the voice of my most favorite chararacter in Avatar: the Last Airbender too :(

[kosaginolegion.livejournal.com]

He was also Uncle Iroh in Avatar. He's going to be missed, however they resolve the problem.

I've always felt that he enjoyed his parts in the animations that he voice acted for so very much. He was a marvelous actor and I'm going to miss his voice in a lot of things.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

While I loved his work in Samurai Jack, the role I remember best, even though I've only heard it, isn't listed on IMDB. He was the narrator in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=74006

Mako
( b. Dec 10, 1933 Kobe, JAPAN ) Male
Performer
Awards and nominations
Also known as:
Makoto Iwamatsu [Birthname]

Productions Dates of Production
Shimada [Original, Play]
Starring: Mako [Shimada];
Starring: Mako [Toshio Uchiyama]
Apr 23, 1992 - Apr 25, 1992
Pacific Overtures [Original, Musical, Comedy, Drama]
Starring: Mako [Jonathan Goble];
Starring: Mako [Reciter];
Starring: Mako [Shogun]
Jan 11, 1976 - Jun 27, 1976

[darrenzieger.livejournal.com]

Also my favorite of his roles; I've listened to the cast album countless times. He was nominated for a Tony award for best actor in a musical for that performance.

Such poise and dignity that man had. Very sad to see him go.

[greenmansgrove.livejournal.com]

He was both the narrator and the wizard who helps Conan in Conan the Barbarian, as well. I will always think of his voice when I think of that movie.

[sdelmonte]

"But that is a story for another time..."

I was thinking a good deal about that film, having read some of the 1970s comics in collected form. Not what I'd call great cinema, but he brought a bit of class to it.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Which was the inspiration for MojoJojo in the PowerPuff Girls.

Thanks for the memories, Mako.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

He certainly LOOKED 72 for at least 30 years... playing "the book casting game" I wanted him to play Lu-Tse, the top agent of the History Monks in the Discworld books.

He was working in Los Angeles when the Northridge Quake hit in '94. Then he went directly home to Kobe... just in time for that city's big quake too. Yeah, nobody wanted to be in the same prefecture with him after that. [shaky grin]

[sdelmonte]

M*A*S*H fans will recall him as a frequent guest star, though one who never played the same character twice. He was most notably a South Korean officer known for torturing the enemy, and later a North Korean soldier who kidnaps Hawkeye so that the doctor can save his dying comrade. Both episodes are memorable for both Mako's performance opposite Alan Alda and the unstinting realism in portraying war. (Thanks to kradical for reminding me of this.)

Another M*A*S*H role...

[amgem.livejournal.com]

He also played a doctor in the Rainbow Bridge episode...

[kakita-shisumo.livejournal.com]

He was just confirmed at Comic-Con as the voice of Splinter in the new TMNT movie, too.

Sadness.

Already recorded?

[pickledcritter.livejournal.com]

I saw that as well, but I haven't been able to find for sure out if he had recorded all/some/none of his dialogue, tho' with a release date of 3/30/07, I can't see how he couldn't have.