Miyoshi Umeki Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family
Miyoshi Umeki (梅木 美代志, Umeki Miyoshi, or ミヨシ・ウメキ Miyoshi Umeki; May 8, 1929 – August 28, 2007) was a naturalized American Academy Award-winning actress and standards singer. She was best known for her roles as Katsumi, the wife of Joe Kelly (Red Buttons), in the 1957 film Sayonara, as Mei Li in the 1958 Broadway musical and 1961 film Flower Drum Song, and as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper of Bill Bixby's and Brandon Cruz's characters, in the TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. She was a shin Issei or post-1945 immigrant from Japan. She was a Tony Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress and was the first and only Asian woman to win an Academy Award for acting.
Net Worth
$3 Million
Date Of Birth
May 8, 1929
Died
2007-08-28
Place Of Birth
Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Occupation
Actress, singer
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack
Spouse
Randall Hood
Nicknames
Miyoshi Umeki, Umeki, Miyoshi
Star Sign
Taurus
#
Fact
1
Was the 46th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Sayonara (1957) at The 30th Annual Academy Awards (1958) on March 26, 1958.
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. There's also a various artists compilation LP which contains one track by her. Before that, she recorded for RCA Japan as Nancy Umeki.
9
After her retirement from the entertainment industry, she ran an editing machine business in Los Angeles for several years.
10
Gave birth to her only child at age 34, a son Michael H. Opie - later renamed Michael Randall Hood - on February 11, 1964. Child's father is her 1st husband, Win Opie.
11
Appeared on a 1958 cover of Time magazine along with actress Pat Suzuki while appearing on Broadway in Flower Drum Song .
12
Was nominated for the 1959 Tony Award as best actress in a musical for Flower Drum Song, a role she recreated in the film version, Flower Drum Song (1961).
13
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.
14
The first Asian actor to win an Academy Award, for best supporting actress in Sayonara (1957).
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969-1972
TV Series
Mrs. Livingston
The Queen and I
1969
TV Series
Japanese Bride
Akuma no niwa
1967
Burke's Law
1964
TV Series
Lotus Bud
The Virginian
1964
TV Series
Kim Ho
Mister Ed
1964
TV Series
Ako Tenaka
Rawhide
1963
TV Series
Nami
Dr. Kildare
1963
TV Series
Hana Shigera
The Red Skelton Hour
1963
TV Series
Guest
A Girl Named Tamiko
1962
Eiko
Teahouse of the August Moon
1962
TV Movie
Lotus-Blossom
Sam Benedict
1962
TV Series
Sumiko Matsui
The Horizontal Lieutenant
1962
Akiko
The Donna Reed Show
1961-1962
TV Series
Mac (Kimi Makihara) / Mrs. Stemple
Flower Drum Song
1961
Mei Li
Cry for Happy
1961
Harue
Art Carney Special
1959
TV Series
Sayonara
1957
Katsumi
Around the World Revue
1956
Short
Nancy Umecki (as Nancy Umecki)
Seishun jazu musume
1953
Kashu
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Horizontal Lieutenant
1962
performer: "How About You?"
Flower Drum Song
1961
performer: "A Hundred Million Miracles", "A Hundred Million Miracles reprise", "I Am Going to Like It Here", "Don't Marry Me", "A Hundred Million Miracles reprise/Finale"
Cry for Happy
1961
performer: "Cry for Happy"
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1958
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Salute to Oscar Hammerstein II
1972
TV Special
Herself
The Merv Griffin Show
1970-1972
TV Series
Herself - Guest
This Is Your Life
1971
TV Series
Herself
The Pet Set
1971
TV Series documentary
Herself
The Celebrity Game
1964
TV Series
Herself
The 35th Annual Academy Awards
1963
TV Special
Herself - Presenter: Documentary Awards
The Andy Williams Show
1962
TV Series
Herself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1958-1962
TV Series
Herself
The Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Here's Hollywood
1961
TV Series
Herself
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1958-1961
TV Series
Herself
The Garry Moore Show
1959
TV Series
Herself
The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams
1959
TV Series
Herself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1959
TV Series
Singer
The All-Star Christmas Show
1958
TV Movie
Herself
What's My Line?
1958
TV Series
Herself - Mystery Guest
The Gisele MacKenzie Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
The 30th Annual Academy Awards
1958
TV Special
Herself - Best Supporting Actress Winner
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1958
TV Series
Herself - Actress
The Oscar Levant Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
The Eddie Fisher Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
1957
TV Series
Jazu konsâto
1953
TV Movie
Herself (as Nancy Umeki)
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends
1949
TV Series
Herself (regular performer, 1955)
Archive Footage
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1958
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sayonara (1957)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2004
TV Land Award
TV Land Awards
Favorite Made for TV Maid
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)
1971
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Supporting Actress - Television
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)
1962
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Flower Drum Song (1961)
1958
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Supporting Actress
Sayonara (1957)
Known for movies
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969-1972) as Mrs. Livingston
