Michi Kobi obit

Michi Kobi Obituary

 

She was not on the list.

Actress Michi Kobi, who was known for roles in movies including "12 to the Moon," died March 1, according to a statement released by her family this weekend. She was 91.

Born Machiko Okamoto Nov. 2, 1924, in Sacramento, California, Kobi experienced a life-changing period during World War II, when her family was interned in a concentration camp in Utah along with others of Japanese descent. She turned to acting while in the camp, appearing in a production of "Our Town" as a means of self-expression. After the war, she studied acting at New York University.

Kobi's notable films included "Tokyo After Dark" (1959), "12 to the Moon" (1960), and "Hell to Eternity" (1960). She was in the original Broadway cast of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1963, playing Nurse Nakamura. On television, she appeared on series including "The Californians" and "Law & Order."

Other than a handful of small roles, Kobi largely left acting after the early 1960s, frustrated by the dearth of good roles for Asian women.

Actress

Tony Goldwyn, Maura Tierney, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Mehcad Brooks, and Odelya Halevi in Law & Order (1990)

Law & Order

7.8

TV Series

Mrs. Ito

2004

1 episode

 

Marty Grabstein in Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999)

Courage the Cowardly Dog

8.3

TV Series

(voice)

2002

13 episodes

 

American Rickshaw (1989)

American Rickshaw

5.1

Old Madame Luna

1989

 

Gardner McKay in Adventures in Paradise (1959)

Adventures in Paradise

8.1

TV Series

Michiko

1961

1 episode

 

Cry for Happy (1961)

Cry for Happy

5.8

Harakichi

1961

 

Hell to Eternity (1960)

Hell to Eternity

6.9

Sono

1960

 

12 to the Moon (1960)

12 to the Moon

3.3

Dr. Hideko Murata

1960

 

The Ann Sothern Show (1958)

The Ann Sothern Show

7.8

TV Series

Michiko

1959

1 episode

 

Richard Coogan in The Californians (1957)

The Californians

6.5

TV Series

Mai Sung

Lily

Dai Wan

1957–1959

3 episodes

 

Michi Kobi and Richard Long in Tokyo After Dark (1959)

Tokyo After Dark

6.6

Sumi Fujita

1959

 

Marsha Hunt and John Rodney in Studio One (1948)

Studio One

7.5

TV Series

Tama Sato

1958

1 episode

 

Dan Duryea in Climax! (1954)

Climax!

6.5

TV Series

Aiko Nezumi

1958

1 episode

 

The New Adventures of China Smith

7.1

TV Series

Ming Toy

Krisiva

1954

2 episodes

 

Self

Lamp Unto My Feet (1948)

Lamp Unto My Feet

7.6

TV Series

1960