Actor and Japanese American community personality Rodney Kageyama, 77, died in his sleep early Sunday morning, December 9, 2018.

In addition to numerous roles in film and television, Kageyama became perhaps as much a community fixture as anyone could be, emceeing regularly in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles.  He had major roles in Karate Kid IV with Hilary Swank, the Ron Howard film Gung Ho, the sitcom that followed, and the groundbreaking TV movie Hiroshima:  Out of the Ashes with Max Von Sydow.

Rodney began his career in San Francisco in 1965 as one of the original members of the Asian American Theatre Company and attended the American Conservatory Theatre.  In 1979 he moved to Los Angeles where he joined Asian American theatre group East West Players (EWP), working as an actor, director, and designer.  In 1985 he received a Drama-Logue Award for Costume Design for EWP's Roshomon. In 1993 he directed The Grapevine, written by Grateful Crane Ensemble founder Soji Kashiwagi, produced at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.  In 2001 he played Erronius in an all Asian American production of the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at EWP.  Kageyama was also featured in the "Golden Dreams" film exhibit, which opened the Disney California Adventure Park.

In 2006 he was presented the Community Treasures Award by the Cherry Blossom Festival of Southern California.  In 2005 he received the Ray Creevy Award at East West Players 39 ^th Anniversary Awards.  Last month he was honored at the Aquarium of the Pacific's Autumn Festival.  In 2016 he received the Nisei Week Inspiration Award, having been closely involved in various Nisei Week celebrations since 2003.  For the past ten years he has volunteered as part-time docent at the Japanese American National Museum, where he initiated a storytelling program for children.

Kageyama is survived by his husband Ken White.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 12, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at Nishi Hongwanji, 815 E. 1 ^st Street, in Los Angeles.