Line #16 Creator/Mako


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4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mako_7.jpg]]
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6	''[[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack Long ago]], [[{{UsefulNotes/Japan}} in a distant land]]... I, '''MAKO''', the multi-talented master of voices, unleashed an [[LargeHam INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE]]! But, a foolish Troper, wielding their editing abilities, stepped forth to describe me!''
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8	Makoto Iwamatsu (December 10, 1933 -- July 21, 2006), commonly known as Mako, was a Japanese-American actor and voice actor. He was born in Kobe, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, to Taro and Mitsu Yashima, who were well known authors and political dissidents. He lived under the care of his grandmother in Japan during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII while his parents, who immigrated earlier to the United States, assisted with the US war effort. Mako eventually joined his parents in the US after the war ended, later becoming a citizen. He also had married actress Shizuko Hoshi, and left two daughters (both actresses) and three grandchildren.
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10	Mako's first film role was an uncredited one in the 1959 movie ''Film/NeverSoFew''. He went on to appear in many other productions, starting with the 1966 movies ''Film/TheSandPebbles'' and ''Film/TheUglyDachshund'', and also including ''The Hawaiians'', ''Film/TheKillerElite'', ''Film/TheIslandAtTheTopOfTheWorld'', ''Film/HighlanderIIITheSorcerer'' / ''Final Dimension'' (as well as ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' The Series), ''Film/{{Conan the Barbarian\|1982}}'' and ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'', ''Under the Rainbow'', ''Film/{{Sidekicks}}'', ''Film/ThePerfectWeapon1991'', ''Film/RoboCop3'', ''Film/SevenYearsInTibet'', and ''Film/PearlHarbor''. His television appearances include ''Series/{{MASH}}'', ''Series/TheTimeTunnel'', ''Series/ISpy'', ''Series/HawaiiFiveO'', ''Radio/TheGreenHornet'', ''Series/KungFu1972'', ''Series/{{Mannix}}'', ''Series/Ironside1967'', and ''Series/{{Columbo}}''.[[note]]''Columbo'' episode "[[Recap/ColumboS07E02 Murder Under Glass]]"[[/note]] He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in ''Film/TheSandPebbles'', and a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a musical for his role in the original of ''Theatre/PacificOvertures''.
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12	Mako's last leading role was in the 2005 film ''Cages''. The last work he contributed to was the animated movie ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}'', in which he recorded the voiced role for Master Splinter mere days before his death from esophageal cancer. The finished film was later dedicated to his memory. An episode of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (in which he voiced the character Iroh, until his death between the second and third seasons) also had the send-off, 'In Honour of Mako', and gave a major character in its [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra sequel series]] his name. Mako has a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7095 Hollywood Blvd.
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14	Mako was also well-known as an advocate for Asian-American representation. Along with several other actors, including Creator/JamesHong and Soon-Tek Oh, in 1965 he co-founded the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_West_Players East West Players]], an Asian repertory theater company in Los Angeles and served as its artistic director until 1989.
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16	Greg Baldwin would serve as TheOtherDarrin for other animated works that Mako was previously involved in.
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18	Not to be confused with the Japanese voice actress of the same name.
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21	!!Tropes associated with Mako:
22	* CoolOldGuy[=/=]CulturedBadass: His role as Iroh in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and his final role as Splinter in ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}''.
23	* [[EndingTheme Ending Narration]]: For ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''.
24	-->''"Enter at your own peril, past the bolted door where impossible things may happen that the world's never seen before!"''
25	* EvilSoundsDeep: As he said about voicing Aku, "Evil comes from the ''belly''."
26	* EvilSoundsRaspy: Aku again. Then again, he always sounded raspy even when he voiced good guys.
27	* FirstNameBasis: He was almost always credited as "Mako," to the point where even the mostly-formal Wikipedia refrains from referring to him by his last name.
28	* LargeHam: While he was certainly capable of subtlety, his background in KabukiTheatre earned him a lot of [[ChewTheScenery scenery to chew on]] in his later roles. Creator/PhilLamarr remarked how his EvilLaugh would start big, go until he had no breath left, and then just ''keep going''!
29	-->[[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!]]
30	* NiceGuy: As those who knew him will tell you, Mako-''san'' was a true gentleman, in every sense of the term.
31	** His own personality may have influenced the development of Iroh; WordOfGod states that the character was initially thought of as a gruff MentorArchetype figure to Zuko (and, at one point, even a TreacherousAdvisor), but after Mako was cast, he morphed into the wise, warm, merry old soul we all know and love.
32	* RealityIsUnrealistic: Yes, that was his real accent and not an exaggerated put on. There's a reason he kept it through all of his roles regardless of character.
33	* YouLookFamiliar: He had multiple recurring appearances on ''Series/{{MASH}}'' but never played the same character twice.
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Context Creator / Mako