As noted by TCM, Hawaii native Danny Kamekona made his acting debut on “Hawaii Five-O” in 1968. According to the book “Booking Hawaii Five-O,” Kamekona played a wide range of small roles on the show — 31 in all — but is most frequently recalled as Sergeant Nick Noble.
Kamekona was with “Hawaii Five-O” until the series ended in 1980, but he appeared on a wide range of other television shows, including “Sanford and Son,” “Barnaby Jones,” and “Magnum, P.I.” Kamekona was just as busy after “Hawaii Five-O” ended, according to Heavy.com, racking up credits on both film and television. His most famous role came in 1986, when he played the villain Sato in “The Karate Kid Part II.” He also had memorable appearances in films such as 1987’s “Black Widow,” 1990’s “Problem Child,” and “Honeymoon in Vegas” with Nicolas Cage.
His final acting role was as a series regular in the show “Burke’s Law” in 1994 to 1995. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kamekona died of natural causes in his sleep in 1996 at the age of 60. Kamekona had recently had heart surgery to repair a faulty valve, and his doctor had advised him to take it easy, but in the weeks before his death he kept up a busy schedule of filming and promoting projects.