Home > Miyoshi Umeki

Umeki began her career as a nightclub singer in Japan before moving to the United States. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role, Sayonara (1957), becoming the first Asian actor to win an Oscar.

She only appeared in four more films during her career including Flower Drum Song (1961), for which she had received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, for her performance in the Broadway production in 1959. She also played the part of Mrs Livingstone in the television series The Courtship of Eddie's FatherThe Courtship of Eddie's Father is a 1963 comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. It tells the story of a widower played by Glenn Ford, with a young son played by Ron Howard who believes his father should marry but disapproves of the women his father i from 1969 until 1972.