Miiko Taka
Miiko Taka (Japanese高 美 以 子, Taka Miiko, born July 24, 1925 in Seattle, Washington ) is an American actress of Japanese descent, known from the movie Sayonara (1957 ) as Hana - Ogi.
Taka grew up in Los Angeles, California, her parents emigrated from Japan. She graduated in 1943 at the Los Angeles High School. Director Joshua Logan's first choice was Audrey Hepburn, but they refused, then Logan sought by an unknown actress. Taka, who worked in a travel agency at the time as employees in Los Angeles, was discovered by a talent scout at a local Nisei Festival. Although she had no previous acting experience, Variety gave it a positive review. Warner Bros. gave her a contract for her performance in ' Sayonara '.
After ' Sayonara ' Taka appeared in various films, including with James Garner, Bob Hope, Cary Grant and Toshirō Mifune (also known from the TV series Shogun (1980)).
Taka married in 1944 in Baltimore, the actor Dale Ishimoto. The marriage was divorced in 1958. 1963 married Taka director Lennie Blondheim.