Diminutive, balding, Asian American character actor who, despite making his TV debut on the aggressively mystical "Kung Fu" series, has beautifully managed to avoid or transcend that quality of inscrutability stereotypically associated with so many Far Eastern acting roles. Born in Hawaii, Kusatsu began in Honolulu summer stock and, after studying theater at Northwestern, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s. Usually mustachioed, with a dapper, professional air, he has most often played doctors, but his repertoire has included a generous sampling of teachers (usually college professors), businessmen, detectives, church ministers and other intelligent, middle-class types. With his quiet, wry line delivery, Kusatsu made a memorably clever and hilarious sparring partner for no less than Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) on several episodes of "All in the Family" as the Reverend Chong, refusing to baptize Archie's grandson without the permission of the boy's parents. Kusatsu was subsequently a regular on several series, but neither the adventure "Bring 'Em Back Alive" (1982-83) nor the Hawaiian-set medical drama "Island Son" (1989-90), in which he played one of Richard Chamberlain's colleagues, lasted very long. His many TV-movies have included "Farewell to Manzanar" (1976), a story of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, "Golden Land" (1988), a Hollywood-set drama based on a William Faulkner story, and the AIDS drama "And the Band Played On" (1993). Feature roles, beginning with "Battle of Midway" (1976), have generally been small, but Kusatsu was especially busy in the 90s with roles in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" (1993, as a history teacher) and "In the Line of Fire" (1993, as a Secret Service agent). "All-American Girl" (ABC, 1994-95), the first Asian American family sitcom, marked a return to series TV, with Kusatsu comfortably cast as the protagonist's easy-going father. An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Official languages Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² 41. ... Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... Serving from 1999 to 2003, Army General Eric Shinseki of Hawaii became the first Asian American military chief of staff. ...

Family

son:Kevin Kusatsu son:Andrew Kusatsu

Education

Iolani School Honolulu, Hawaii Name Iolani School Address 563 Kamoku Street Town Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 Established 1863 Community Urban Type Independent Religion Episcopal Church Students Coeducational Grades K to 12 Accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Nickname Raiders Mascot ‘Io (Hawaiian Hawk) Colors Black, Red and White Motto One Team Military United States...

Companion

Gayle Kusatsu.wife,

Awards

Milestones 1991 First TV miniseries, And the Sea Will Tell 1983 First TV work as a series regular: played Ali on the CBS adventure show, Bring 'Em Back Alive 1977 Played the role of the Reverend Chong on several episodes of the long-running CBS sitcom, All in the Family 1976 Feature film debut, Battle of Midway 1976 First TV-movie, Farewell to Manzanar 1974 Made TV debut on an episode of the ABC action drama, Kung Fu; made a good impression on the show's producers, and was subsequently signed up to act in four more episodes of the series 1966 Made professional stage debut at age 17 playing the Crown Prince in a summer-stock production of The King and I in Honolulu Played a recurring role on the popular CBS detective series, Magnum P.I., Starring Tom Selleck, in the mid-1980s Played Dr. Kenji Fushida on the CBS medical drama set in Hawaii, Island Son, starring Richard Chamberlain Played Dad on the ABC sitcom, All-American Girl In 1974 a yachting couple is murdered at Palmyra, later becoming the basis for And the Sea Will Tell, a book by Vincent Bugliosi (author of Helter Skelter), published in 1991. ... Bring Em Back Alive is an adventure television series. ... All in the Family is a popular and acclaimed American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 until April 8, 1979, when the final original episode aired. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Chuichi Nagumo Isoroku Yamamoto Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships Four carriers, about 150 support ships Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk; 307 killed 4 carriers, 1 cruiser sunk; 2,500 killed The Battle of Midway took place... Farewell to Manzanar is a book published in 1972 by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. ... Selleck at a formal affair, sans his trademark moustache. ... This article is about the situation comedy; for the book, see All American Girl (book). ...