Mako Iwamatsu, the Japanese-American acting pioneer who opened the doors for Asian Americans to Hollywood, died of esophageal cancer at his home in southern California on Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. He was 72.

Mako, who remains one of the very few Japanese actors who have been nominated for an Oscar,for the Sand Pebbles, also co-founded the first Asian-American theater company, East West Players, where he trained many aspiring actors and playwrights.

Mako also appeared as a wizard in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian" and was the voice of Aku in "Samurai Jack".

They say hollywood deaths come in threes of the same type. Jack Warden, Mickey Spillane, and Mako. 3 crusty old guys.

That blows big time.

I just two weeks ago had a friend die from that.
Found out around Thanksgiving, had a operation a few weeks ago, thought he'd make it. Then, it spread to his liver.

Gang, this is one of the hardest types of cancer to catch in time.
I've now had two people who I've known die in the last 5 years from this.

The two biggest causes of this is....
1.) Smoking (of course). 1 out of 3 of you smokers will likely die from some smoking related problem. Stand with two of your smoking friends and figure out which one of you is going to die from your smoking.

2.) Acid reflux. If you are prone to acid reflux, do everything you can to minimize it. ( Now being a 'Mom' here ) Don't eat anything for a few hours before you go to bed. When you eat then soon after go to bed, the acid from your stomach when you lay down eats away at your throat.

Live long so you can build at least 10% of all those models you've bought.

I loved that guy. He was so prolific over his career. He would turn up everywhere and in every type of role. I probably will remember his most from MASH and Conan. I noticed his voice in one of my son's faves too, Avatar. I was surprised he was as young as he was. He was still in his 40's when he made Conan. He always looked like the wizened old man. Of course, makeup played a part in that.

I saw Mako in an episode of Magnum PI once.

Man... Another of my fave's passes. :(

:(
Sad now.
:(

He was truly one of the unsung greats. I always knew I was going to enjoy a film or a TV show when he was in it. (Well, even he couldn't save Pearl Harbor, but ya get my drift).

Mako actually showed up as a teenager in an episode of Gidget. I recall mentioning it when I got the Gidget DVDs earlier this year. I thought my mind might be playing tricks on me since Mako was well into his 30's at the time. But his name appeared in the credits.

another great talent gone

He was phenominal as the psycho failed kamakazi pilot in The Time Tunnel episode, "Kill Two By Two".
R.I.P. Mako.

Check him out as Chuck Norris' grumpy old mentor on "An Eye for an Eye." Classic Mako.