Actor remembered as trailblazer with a warm heart

Honolulu-born James Shigeta, who overcame a social barrier by becoming one of the first Asian-American actors to land leading roles in Hollywood, including interracial romances beginning in the late 1950s, was remembered for his warmth and kindness Sunday by dozens of friends and family members.

"Uncle Jimmy was … one of the most caring, generous and thoughtful people I’ve ever known," said Kimberli Shigeta, Shigeta’s grandniece, in her eulogy. "It was always so much fun to be with him because he had this youthful energy."

Shigeta, 85, died July 28 in Beverly Hills, Calif., from pulmonary failure. Services were held Sunday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary in Nuuanu.

"James Shigeta was one of the most important pioneers for Asian entertainers," said local entertainer Jimmy Borges, 79, before the service began. "He opened the door for a lot of people that came after him, people like Pat Morita, Jack Soo."

Borges, imitating Shigeta’s baritone speech, said he was a handsome, elegant man with a magnificent voice, but also a quiet person.

"I learned things from him as far as his demeanor," Borges said. "He was a mentor."

Shigeta, a Marine during the Korean War, will be inurned in a private ceremony Tuesday at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.

Shigeta graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1947 and began his rise to stardom by winning Ted Mack’s "The Original Amateur Hour," a national talent show in New York, similar to "American Idol." He was about 20 years old when he won in the early 1950s, his younger brother Clarence Shigeta, 78, said.

Shigeta then formed a duo with Charles Davis and performed under the name Guy Brion in mainland nightclubs. He also appeared in the Las Vegas show "Holiday in Japan."

In 1959, Shigeta appeared in his first Hollywood movie, "The Crimson Kimono," in which he played an Asian-American detective who falls for a key witness in a murder case, played by Victoria Shaw.

Posters for the motion picture showed the two kissing and said: "YES, this is a beautiful American girl in the arms of a Japanese boy!"

In 1960 Shigeta shared a Golden Globe award for most promising newcomer.

Shigeta also had leading roles in "Bridge to the Sun" and "Flower Drum Song" and played a Japanese admiral in "Midway."

His big screen success was short-lived. But he continued a long career on television, appearing in numerous shows, including "Hawaii Five-0," "The Greatest American Hero," "Airwolf," "Magnum, P.I.," and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

In 1988 Shigeta appeared in "Die Hard" as a company executive fatally shot by a German terrorist played by Alan Rickman.

"He again showed dignity and class even though he was shot by the terrorist," said his cousin Maurice Oshima during his eulogy.

Shigeta also provided the voice of General Li in the 1998 animated movie "Mulan."

Shigeta briefly attended the University of Hawaii in the 1940s and later established a scholarship at UH in Asian studies.

During the service Borges serenaded Shigeta’s photo with "I’ll Be Seeing You" and said his own big break came when he filled Shigeta’s role in "Holiday in Japan," which Shigeta left to film "Walk Like a Dragon" in 1959.

"Jimmy was more than just a handsome Japanese man with a great voice," he said. "Jimmy opened the door for people of color."