
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.
Series | Visions | Unknown | 2024 |
Movie | Rise: Blood Hunter | Poe | 2007-04-28 |
Movie | TMNT | Splinter (voice) | 2007-03-23 |
Movie | The Slanted Screen | Himself | 2006-01-03 |
Series | Maid in Akihabara | 2005-12-01 | |
Series | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Uncle Iroh (voice) | 2005-02-21 |
Series | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Unknown | 2004-09-18 |
Movie | Bulletproof Monk | Mr. Kojima | 2003-03-28 |
Series | Black Sash | Unknown | 2003-03-30 |
Series | Duck Dodgers | Unknown | 2003-08-23 |
Series | Lost at Home | Unknown | 2003-04-01 |
Series | Monk | Unknown | 2002-07-12 |
Series | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Unknown | 2002-09-14 |
Movie | Cruel Game | Straw Hat | 2002-11-27 |
Movie | Pearl Harbor | Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto | 2001-05-21 |
Series | Samurai Jack | Aku | 2001-08-10 |
Movie | Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie | Aku | 2001-08-10 |
Movie | Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' | The Wizard (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 |
Movie | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Mr. Yamaguchi (voice) | 2000-11-17 |
Series | The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne | Unknown | 2000-06-18 |
Movie | The Accomplice | 1999-04-10 | |
Series | The West Wing | Unknown | 1999-09-22 |
Movie | The Bird People in China | Shen | 1998-06-10 |
Series | Martial Law | Unknown | 1998-09-26 |
Movie | Seven Years in Tibet | Kungo Tsarong | 1997-09-12 |
Series | Dexter's Laboratory | 1996-04-28 | |
Movie | Balance of Power | Todo Matsumoto | 1996-06-25 |
Series | 7th Heaven | Unknown | 1996-08-26 |
Movie | Sworn to Justice | Mr. Young | 1996-10-01 |
Movie | Crying Freeman | Shido Shimazaki | 1995-04-23 |
Series | Platypus Man | Unknown | 1995-01-23 |
Movie | A Dangerous Place | Sensei | 1995-04-25 |
Series | JAG | Unknown | 1995-09-23 |
Movie | Midnight Man | Buun Som | 1995-05-09 |
Movie | Highlander III: The Sorcerer | Nakano | 1994-11-29 |
Movie | Red Sun Rising | Buntoro Iga | 1994-09-01 |
Movie | Kyrie Eleison | 1993-03-05 | |
Movie | RoboCop 3 | Kanemitsu | 1993-11-05 |
Series | Walker, Texas Ranger | Unknown | 1993-04-21 |
Series | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Unknown | 1993-01-27 |
Series | Frasier | Sam Tanaka | 1993-09-16 |
Series | Diagnosis: Murder | Unknown | 1993-10-29 |
Movie | Rising Sun | Yoshida-san | 1993-07-30 |
Movie | My Samurai | 1992-01-01 | |
Movie | Sidekicks | Mr. Lee | 1992-12-17 |
Movie | The Perfect Weapon | Kim | 1991-03-15 |
Movie | Strawberry Road | Frank Machida | 1991-04-27 |
Movie | Fatal Mission | Trang | 1990-07-25 |
Movie | Murder in Paradise | Capt. Kilalo | 1990-01-19 |
Movie | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Sgt. Moritaki | 1990-08-06 |
Movie | Pacific Heights | Toshio Watanabe | 1990-09-28 |
Movie | Taking Care of Business | Mr. Sakamoto | 1990-08-16 |
Series | The Paradise Club | Mr. Yamamoto | 1989-09-19 |
Movie | An Unremarkable Life | Max Chin | 1989-10-12 |
Series | The Simpsons | Unknown | 1989-12-17 |
Movie | Silent Assassins | Oyama | 1988-01-01 |
Series | Supercarrier | Unknown | 1988-03-06 |
Movie | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Jimmy | 1988-08-12 |
Movie | The Wash | Nobu Matsumoto | 1988-08-17 |
Series | Paradise | Unknown | 1988-10-27 |
Series | Tour of Duty | Unknown | 1987-09-24 |
Series | Lovejoy | Unknown | 1986-01-10 |
Movie | P.O.W. The Escape | Capt. Vinh | 1986-04-01 |
Movie | Kung Fu The Movie | The Manchu | 1986-02-01 |
Movie | Armed Response | Akira Tanaka | 1986-10-01 |
Series | Spenser: For Hire | Unknown | 1985-09-20 |
Series | The Equalizer | Unknown | 1985-09-18 |
Series | Hawaiian Heat | 1984-09-14 | |
Movie | Conan the Destroyer | Akiro 'The Wizard' | 1984-06-29 |
Movie | Girls of the White Orchid | Mori | 1983-11-28 |
Series | The A-Team | Pastry Chef | 1983-01-23 |
Movie | The Nightingale | Gardener / Minister | 1983-05-10 |
Movie | Testament | Mike | 1983-11-04 |
Movie | The Last Ninja | Aitaro Sakura | 1983-07-07 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | Gardener / Minister | 1982-09-11 |
Movie | Conan the Barbarian | The Wizard / Narrator | 1982-04-02 |
Series | Bring 'Em Back Alive | Unknown | 1982-09-24 |
Series | Voyagers | Unknown | 1982-10-03 |
Series | Flamingo Road | Unknown | 1981-01-06 |
Series | The Greatest American Hero | Unknown | 1981-03-18 |
Movie | An Eye for an Eye | James Chan | 1981-08-14 |
Movie | The Bushido Blade | Enjiro | 1981-06-19 |
Movie | Under the Rainbow | Nakomuri | 1981-07-31 |
Series | Magnum, P.I. | Unknown | 1980-12-11 |
Movie | The Big Brawl | Herbert | 1980-09-10 |
Series | Supertrain | Unknown | 1979-02-07 |
Movie | When Hell Was in Session | Maj. Bai | 1979-10-08 |
Series | A Man Called Sloane | Tanaka | 1979-09-22 |
Series | The Facts of Life | Unknown | 1979-08-24 |
Series | The Incredible Hulk | Unknown | 1977-11-04 |
Movie | Farewell to Manzanar | Fukimoto | 1976-03-11 |
Series | Mr. T and Tina | Unknown | 1976-09-25 |
Movie | Pacific Overtures | Reciter / Shogun / Jonathan Goble | 1976-09-06 |
Series | Quincy, M.E. | Unknown | 1976-10-03 |
Series | Khan! | Unknown | 1975-02-07 |
Series | Wonder Woman | Unknown | 1975-11-07 |
Movie | Prisoners | Sgt. Nguyen | 1975-07-01 |
Movie | The Killer Elite | Yuen Chung | 1975-12-19 |
Movie | The Green Hornet | Low Sing | 1974-03-21 |
Movie | The Island at the Top of the World | Oomiak | 1974-12-16 |
Movie | Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders | Tao Gan | 1974-12-29 |
Series | Anna and the King | Unknown | 1972-09-11 |
Movie | Yokahama Mama | Rooster (voice) | 1972-12-24 |
Series | M*A*S*H | Unknown | 1972-09-17 |
Series | Kung Fu | Unknown | 1972-10-14 |
Series | Columbo | Kanji Ousu | 1971-09-15 |
Movie | Silence | Kichijiro (as Mako Iwamatsu) | 1971-11-13 |
Movie | The Challenge | Yuro | 1970-02-10 |
Movie | Fools | Psychiatrist | 1970-12-23 |
Movie | The Hawaiians | Mun Ki | 1970-06-17 |
Movie | The Great Bank Robbery | Secret Agent Fong | 1969-09-10 |
Series | Room 222 | Unknown | 1969-09-11 |
Series | Love, American Style | Unknown | 1969-09-29 |
Series | Hawaii Five-O | Unknown | 1968-09-20 |
Movie | The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell | Calvin Coolidge Ishimura | 1968-05-08 |
Series | Mannix | Unknown | 1967-09-16 |
Series | Ironside | Unknown | 1967-03-28 |
Movie | The Ugly Dachshund | Kenji | 1966-02-16 |
Series | The Time Tunnel | Unknown | 1966-09-09 |
Series | The Green Hornet | Unknown | 1966-09-09 |
Movie | The Sand Pebbles | Po-han | 1966-12-20 |
Series | Gidget | Unknown | 1965-09-01 |
Series | F Troop | Unknown | 1965-09-14 |
Movie | McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force | Japanese Submarine Captain (uncredited) | 1965-07-09 |
Series | The Big Valley | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Series | I Dream of Jeannie | Unknown | 1965-09-18 |
Series | The F.B.I. | Unknown | 1965-09-19 |
Series | Burke's Law | Unknown | 1963-09-20 |
Series | The Lloyd Bridges Show | Unknown | 1962-09-11 |
Series | The Gallant Men | Unknown | 1962-10-05 |
Series | McHale's Navy | Unknown | 1962-10-11 |
Movie | Never So Few | Soldier in Hospital (uncredited) | 1959-12-07 |
Series | 77 Sunset Strip | Unknown | 1958-10-10 |