Actor Mako Succumbs to Cancer

July 21, 2006

Japanese American actor Mako died on July 21 of esophageal cancer at his home in Somis, California. He was 72. Mako's film, television and theatrical career spanned over forty years, and he was an influential and pioneering force in the Asian American acting community. In 1965, Mako co-founded East West Players, the nation's first Asian American theater company. His most recent appearance on film was the 2006 documentary "The Slanted Screen," where director Jeff Adachi explores how Asian American men have been portrayed on American television and on the Hollywood Screen.