Diminutive, balding, Asian-American character actor who, despite making his TV debut on the aggressively mystical "Kung Fu" series, has beautifully managed to avoid or transcend that quality of inscrutability stereotypically associated with so many Far Eastern acting roles. Born in Hawaii, Kusatsu began in Honolulu summer stock and, after studying theater at Northwestern, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s. Usually mustachioed, with a dapper, professional air, he has most often played doctors, but his repertoire has included a generous sampling of teachers (usually
Made professional stage debut at age 17 playing the Crown Prince in a summer-stock production of "The King and I" in Honolulu (date approximate)
Returned home to Hawaii for a time after graduating college; worked for a time in a brewery
1974
Made TV debut on an episode of the ABC action drama, "Kung Fu"; made a good impression on the show's producers, and was subsequently signed up to act in four more episodes of the series (date approximate)
