Miyoshi Umeki
Miyoshi Umeki ( Japanese梅 木 美 代 志, Umeki Miyoshi ; born April 3, 1929 in Otaru , Hokkaidō ; † August 29, 2007 in Licking , Missouri ) was a Japanese actress and singer .
Before Miyoshi Umeki moved to the United States in 1955 , she worked as a night club singer and had already enjoyed some success as Nancy Umeki . In 1957 she was the first Asian woman to receive an Oscar for best supporting actress in her Hollywood debut Sayonara . In 1958 Umeki was nominated for a Tony Award for her lead role in the Broadway premiere of the musical Flower Drum Song . After Sayonara, she made only four further feature films, including the film adaptation of Flower Drum Song , but was regularly seen on stage and on television until the mid-1970s.
In parallel to her acting career, Umeki recorded several albums and singles for the Mercury Records label in the late 1950s . She was married to the director Randall Hood. In 2007 Miyoshi Umeki died of complications from cancer.
Filmography (selection)
- 1957: Sayonara
- 1960: A house in Yokoshimi (Cry for happy)
- 1961: A Lieutenant and a Bed (The horizontal Lieutenant)
- 1961: Almond Eyes and Lotus Blossoms (Flower Drum Song)
Web links
- Miyoshi Umeki in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Miyoshi Umeki in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Umeki, Miyoshi |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Umeki, Nancy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 3, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Otaru , Hokkaidō , Japan |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 29, 2007 |
| Place of death | Licking, Missouri , United States |