Although she projected the typical Japanese female stereotype of humbleness, delicacy and subservience in most of her prime film and stage roles, beguiling, tiny-framed Miyoshi Umeki was nevertheless an assertive scene-stealer. This docile and deceptive-looking talent with the cropped hair and heart-shaped face radiated charm and innocence so effortlessly, she managed to make history at Academy Awards time as the first Asian performer to receive an acting Oscar for her superb work in the tragic post-WWII film drama _Sayonara in 1968 and the couple ran a business renting editing equipment to film studios and university film programs until his sudden death in Los Angeles in 1976. A longtime resident of North Hollywood, she eventually moved to Missouri with advancing age to be nearer to her son and his family. She died of cancer at age 78 on August 28, 2007, at the Licking Park Manor nursing home in Licking, Missouri.
The first Asian actor to win an Academy Award, for best supporting actress in Sayonara .
Was already famous as Nancy Umeki in Japan with several hit songs and film appearances to her credit before coming to the U.S. in 1955.
Was nominated for the 1959 Tony Award as best actress in a musical for [i]Flower Drum Song[/i], a role she recreated in the film version, Flower Drum Song .
Appeared on a 1958 cover of Time magazine along with actress Pat Suzuki while appearing on Broadway in [i]Flower Drum Song [/i].
Gave birth to her only child at age 34, a son Michael H. Opie - later renamed Michael Randall Hood - on February 11, 1964. Childs father is her 1st husband, Win Opie.
After her retirement from the entertainment industry, she ran an editing machine business in Los Angeles for several years.
She recorded for Mercury Records, 1955-1959. Released five 45rpm singles and two LPs as a lead vocalist. One more LP was a recompiled budget release. Theres also a various artists compilation LP which contains one track by her. Before that, she recorded for RCA Japan as Nancy Umeki.
One of nine actors of Asian descent nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category. The others are Sessue Hayakawa nominated for The Bridge on the River Kwai , Mako nominated for The Sand Pebbles , Ben Kingsley who won Best Actor for Gandhi , Haing S. Ngor who won Best Supporting Actor for The Killing Fields , Pat Morita nominated for The Karate Kid , Ken Watanabe nominated for The Last Samurai Shohreh Aghdashloo nominated for House of Sand and Fog and Rinko Kikuchi nominated for Babel (2006/I) .
As of 2011, she is the only person of East Asian descent to win an Academy Award for acting.
(November 2004) Retired in a small town in Missouri near her son and family.
Retired and living in Hawaii
Best known for her role as Mrs. Livingston on "The Courtship of Eddies Father" .
Good friend of Bill Bixby.
Was the 46th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Sayonara at The 30th Annual Academy Awards on March 26, 1958.
