Yoshio Yoda

Yoshio James Yoda (born March 31, 1934) is a Japanese-born American actor and businessman who played Takeo Fujiwara in the American television series McHale’s Navy.

. . . Yoshio Yoda . . .

Yoda was born on March 31, 1934 in Tokyo, Japan, the only son[1] of a family of manufacturers.[2] After Yoda graduated high school, he enrolled at Keio University to study law.[3] During this period, Yoda met Edward Ugast, then general manager in East Asia of 20th Century Fox. Ugast encouraged Yoda to pursue a career in acting. Yoda abandoned his studies and immigrated to the United States, whereupon he enrolled at University of Southern California in August 1958 with aspirations of becoming a film producer.[2][4] In summer 1961, William White, a USC faculty member, received a call from Joe Pasternak of MGM seeking a young man who could speak English and Japanese. White contacted Yoda, who was then put in touch with MGM’s casting office. After a series of interviews, Yoda was cast in the part of Sgt. Roy Tada in The Horizontal Lieutenant.[1][4] Yoda’s success in that role[5] led him to be cast as Imperial Japanese Navy Seaman 3rd Class Fujiwara “Fuji” Takeo Kobiashi in the American television series McHale’s Navy.[6][2] He was recast in the role in the later feature-length films McHale’s Navy[7] and McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force.[8]

Yoda continued attending school while acting,[1][2] eventually earning a degree in cinema arts.[9]^{[dead link]}

. . . Yoshio Yoda . . .

. . . Yoshio Yoda . . .