
NEW YORK CITY — Actress Michi Kobi, who was known for roles in movies including “Tokyo After Dark” (1959), died March 1 at her home here, according to a statement released by her family this weekend. She was 91.
MSTies will remember her role as Dr. Hideko Murata in the movie in episode 524- 12 TO THE MOON.
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 also included “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.
Thanks to Paul for the heads up.