Film Mako's first film role was in
Never So Few (1959). He was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as engine-room worker Po-Han in the film
The Sand Pebbles (1966). He remained artistic director of the company until 1989. Mako's
Broadway career included creating the roles of the Reciter, the
shogun, and the Chicago-based inventor of the
rickshaw, in the original 1976 production of
Stephen Sondheim's
Broadway musical Pacific Overtures, for which he was nominated for a
Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Mako's landlord at the time,
Jerry Orbach, was also nominated for his role in
Chicago; both lost, however, to
George Rose from the revival of
My Fair Lady. Mako recalled being awoken at 4:30 in the morning after the Tony ceremony by Orbach, who was shouting from the floor below: "Hey, Mako! What the fuck happened? I can't believe it; we lost to a fucking revival!". Mako reprised the role and directed the musical's production with the East West Players, and further reprised the role in a production at the
San Jose Civic Light Opera in 1991. He also starred in the limited run of the play
Shimada in 1992.
Television Mako appeared on the television series ''
McHale's Navy nine times between 1962 and 1965 playing Imperial Japanese officers, soldiers, and sailors. In 1965, he appeared on Gidget'' as a member of a rival surf group. He appeared as Low Sing, challenging
Bruce Lee's character
Kato in
The Green Hornet episode "
The Preying Mantis" (1966). Mako's biggest television role to date came in 1967 in
The Time Tunnel, playing a sadistic soldier during the last months of World War II. That same year, Mako also appeared in an episode of the satirical comedy show
F Troop. Mako in appeared in "
The Tide," a 1973 episode of
Kung Fu as Wong Ti Lu. In 1974, he appeared in the
Ironside episode "Terror on Grant Avenue". He appeared as a Japanese chef in the
Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" (1978). He was the blind philosopher Li Sung in two episodes of
The Incredible Hulk (1978–79). From 1974 to 1980 he appeared on the television series
M*A*S*H, playing multiple roles such as a Chinese doctor, a North Korean soldier, a South Korean medical doctor, and a South Korean lieutenant. He was featured in a season three episode of
The Facts of Life, entitled "The Americanization of Miko" (1982). He also appeared on an episode of
Magnum, P.I. entitled "The Arrow That Is Not Aimed" (1983). That same year he played the character Lin Duk Coo in an episode of
The A-Team. He guest-starred in a 1987 episode of
Tour of Duty as a Vietnamese scout. Mako guest starred opposite
James Hong,
Russell Wong and
Elizabeth Sung on the popular action series
The Equalizer as the ruthless gangster Jimmy Thanarat in the 1988 episode, "
Riding the Elephant". He guest-starred in the
Walker, Texas Ranger episodes "Heart of the Dragon" (1997) and "Black Dragons" (2000), and in the
Nickelodeon film
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) as Coco's boss. He appeared on
Charmed in 2003, creating magic for Chris (played by
Drew Fuller). He guest-starred in the 2005
The West Wing episode "
A Good Day" as an economics professor and former rival of
President Bartlet. That same year, he was a
guest star in the
Monk episode "Mr. Monk vs. The Cobra".
Literature Mako wrote one book that was published in 1984,
Amerika O Ikiru. ==Voice actor==