Happy Days Actors Who Sadly Passed Away

Under the stage name "Pat," Noriyuki Morita played Arnold Takahashi, the proprietor of Arnold's Drive-In. The diner hangout was where Richie, Potsie, Ralph, and their friends and girlfriends would go for a milkshake and a heart-to-heart. (Fonzie also held court in the boys' room.) Arnold was a constant presence, offering advice along with his burgers. 

Morita overcame a number of challenges early in life, including a childhood battle with spinal tuberculosis that left him immobilized in the hospital for years. By the time he was well enough to be released, World War II was underway, and distrust of Japanese Americans ran high. Morita and his family spent time in internment camps until the war ended. After working in data processing for a number of years, Morita decided to try his hand at acting, and landed roles in movies and TV series such as "Sanford and Son" and "M*A*S*H" prior to joining the "Happy Days" crew (via Yahoo).

The actor went on to even greater fame as the wise karate teacher Mr. Miyagi in the original 1984 "The Karate Kid." The role earned him an Oscar nomination, but it also marked the peak of his career. Morita made appearances in various movies and TV shows ("Mulan," "Robot Chicken"), but the lack of representation of Asian actors in Hollywood limited his opportunities. Sadly, so did his alcoholism. The actor's struggles and eventual death from liver failure in 2005 were the subject of a documentary called "More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story" (via Yahoo).