Mako Iwamatsu , born , was an Oscar- and Tony-nominated Japanese-born American actor. Many of his acting roles credited him simply as Mako, omitting his surname. Mako is known for his acting role as Akiro the Wizard in Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer. His voice roles include Aku from Samurai Jack and Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender. 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's first cinema role was in the 1959 film Never So Few. In 1965, frustrated by the limited roles available to himself and other Asian American actors, Mako and six others formed the East West Players theatre company, first performing out of a church basement.
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| Birthdate: | December 10, 1933 |
| Birthplace: | Kobe |
| Date of death: | July 21, 2006 |
| Height: | 5' 4" |
| Also known as: | Makoto Iwamatsu, Mako Wakamatsu |