Miyoshi Umeki was a Japanese-American singer and actress who made history as the first Asian performer to win an Academy Award for her role in Sayonara (1957). She also starred in the Broadway musical and film Flower Drum Song (1961) and the TV series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1969-1972). She was a beloved entertainer who charmed audiences with her sweet voice and gentle demeanor. But how did she die and what was her cause of death?
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Early Life and Career
Miyoshi Umeki was born on May 8, 1929, in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan. She was the youngest of nine children of a prominent iron factory owner. She developed an early passion for music, learning to play the mandolin, harmonica, and piano. She also enjoyed singing American pop songs, which influenced her later career.
After World War II, she began her career as a nightclub singer in Japan, using the name Nancy Umeki. She recorded for RCA Victor Japan from 1950 to 1954 and appeared in the film Seishun Jazu Musume (1953). She sang mostly American jazz standards, which she sang partially in Japanese and partially in English, or solely in either language.
She moved to the United States in 1955 and appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV show, where she caught the attention of director Joshua Logan. He cast her in Sayonara (1957), a film adaptation of James A. Michener’s novel about a U.S. airman (Marlon Brando) who falls in love with a Japanese actress (Miiko Taka) during the Korean War. Umeki played Katsumi, the wife of another airman (Red Buttons), who faces prejudice and tragedy because of their interracial marriage. Both Umeki and Buttons won Oscars for their supporting roles, making Umeki the first Asian performer to win an acting Oscar.
Broadway and Hollywood Success
After her Oscar win, Umeki starred on Broadway in the musical Flower Drum Song (1958), based on the novel by C.Y. Lee. She played Mei Li, a timid mail-order bride who arrives in San Francisco from China to marry a nightclub owner’s son (Ed Kenney). She sang the memorable song “A Hundred Million Miracles” and received a Tony nomination for her performance.
She reprised her role in the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961), directed by Henry Koster. The film was a box-office hit and received five Oscar nominations, including Best Music. Umeki also appeared in three other films in the early 1960s: Cry for Happy (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962), and A Girl Named Tamiko (1962).
Television Fame and Retirement
In 1969, Umeki returned to television as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper and confidante of a widowed magazine editor (Bill Bixby) and his young son (Brandon Cruz) in the comedy series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. The show ran for three seasons and earned Umeki an Emmy nomination in 1970.
Umeki retired from show business in the early 1970s and moved to Licking, Missouri, in the 1990s to be closer to her family. She had two marriages: first to Wynn Opie, a TV director, from 1958 to 1967; and second to Randall Hood, a plumbing contractor, from 1968 until his death in 1976. She had one son, Michael Hood, from her second marriage.
Miyoshi Umeki Cause of Death
Miyoshi Umeki died on August 28, 2007, at Licking nursing home at the age of 78. Her son said that the cause of death was complications of cancer. She was buried at Licking Cemetery.
Umeki left behind a legacy of groundbreaking achievements and memorable performances that inspired generations of Asian-American artists. She was praised for her warmth, grace, and talent by her colleagues and fans. She remains one of the most beloved Asian entertainers in American history.
