Patrick Adiarte dead aged 82: M*A*S*H and The Brady Bunch star dies following battle with pneumonia
BELOVED actor Patrick Adiarte has died of pneumonia after a 70 year career which saw him have popular roles in M*A*S*H and The Brady Bunch.
The Philippines-born star was also a huge hit on Broadway as he appeared in The King and I and Flower Drum Song before his passing at the age of 82.
His death was announced by niece Stephanie Hogan who told The Hollywood Reporter, Adiarte died in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
She confirmed he had lost a battle with pneumonia.
Adiarte first stepped into the spotlight as a young child when he appeared in various Broadway shows.
But his breakthrough role came in 1972 on The Brady Bunch.
The iconic family went on vacation to Honolulu in a three-part episode at the start of season four.
There they met up with Adiarte’s character – a construction gopher who gave the kids a tour.
His other starring role came as Ho-Jon in M*A*S*H.
Adiarte played an orphaned Korean houseboy who helped Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre throughout much of the first season.
He featured in seven episodes between 1972-73 before his character left the show to study abroad.
His first job under the bright lights came in 1952 as part of a Broadway cast of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s fabled The King and I.
The budding actor – who was just 10 at the time – played one of the royal children as he toured with the production team across America.
Adiarte was also a popular dancer on the 1965-66 NBC musical variety series Hullabaloo.
He was even mentored by Gene Kelly while on the show.
His other career opportunities included playing college student T.J. Padmanagham in comedy High Time and a 1961 ABC adaptation of The Enchanted Nutcracker.
As well as playing characters in Please Come Home!, It Takes a Thief, Ironside, Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O and Kojak.
Alongside his acting, Adiarte also helped to teach dance to young students in Santa Monica.
Before making his name in the US, Adiarte had to face a tough upbringing in Manilla, Phillipenes.
He was born in 1942 but less than three years later he was captured as a Japanese prisoner of war alongside his sister, Irene, and mum, Purita.
Their father, who was working as a captain for the US Army Corps of Engineers during World War Two, was killed just a month later.
The family escaped their home country and moved to New York in June 1946.
Adiarte is survived by his niece and nephew, Michael.