At the ripe old age of 82, Patrick Adiarte of M*A*S*H fame has died, leaving behind a legacy of musicals, stage, and screen acting.
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Known for his occasional roles on M*A*S*H, Adiarte was a well-loved actor of both the stage and screen. He had occasional recurring roles as camp houseboy Ho-Jon. However, he also had roles in Bonanza, The Brady Bunch and Hawaii Five-O, and Kojak.
Besides his TV roles, Patrick Adiarte was known for his fantastic ability to dance, landing him a number of musicals. He played roles in both the film adaptations of The King and I and Flower Drum Song. At one point, he also danced alongside Gene Kelly, who showered him with praise.
His glittering career throughout the 70s and 80s showed a broad range of talent.
From The Philippines To Hollywood
Patrick Adiarte was born in Manila in 1942 during the Second World War. He lost his father to the conflict, and was interned on an island with his mother and sister. However, they made an escape attempt, but were pushed back by the Japanese. During the escape attempt, they had grenades thrown at them, burning Patrick and his sister.
After the war, Patrick Adiarte and his family made it to the US. It is here that his career as a performer began. He and his mother landed themselves a role in The King And I. His mother was a dancer and was picked by the production. Although Patrick was only eight at the time, he was also given a role as one of the 15 Royal children.
From here, he pursued his role as an actor, attending the Professional Children's School in New York. After graduating, Patrick Adierte was given the role of Crown Prince in the 1956 screen adaptation of The King And I. It was this same year that he finally got his US citizenship.
He went from strength to strength in his career as a dancer and actor. At one point, the legendary Gene Kelly handed out a massive compliment. While performing together, he threw his arm around Adiarte. "Patrick is a mighty fine dancer," he said. "If there's gonna be another Fred Astaire, I think it might well be Pat."
However, now, the actor known for his role in M*A*S*H and more has passed away. He was suffering from pneumonia, which led to his death.
