He recorded him in a one-on-one interview and then played the tape in a meeting with Jerry Weintraub.
Luckily, director John Avildsen knew that Pat Morita was just the man for the job.
Weintraub was impressed but not sold so they called Morita back four times: first by himself, then for a chemistry test with Ralph Macchio, then in costume in front of studio heads, and finally to film on a sound stage in costume.
True, the story of Mr. Miyagi, an immigrant who fought against the Japanese in World War II and lost his wife and child due to birth complications in an American internment camp, is a deeply sad one that requires a great actor with dramatic chops.