Biographie
Born in Kyoto, Miko Mayama appeared on screen for a few years starting in 1965, often cast as decorative Japanese or Chinese characters in popular TV shows such as I Spy (1965), F Troop (1965), Ironside (1967), Hawaii Five-O (1968), and Mannix (1967). She is perhaps best remembered by cult fans as Yeoman Tamura, the red-shirted member of the Enterprise landing party to Eminiar VII in the Star Trek (1966) episode "A Taste of Armageddon."
In 1968, while working with a Kabuki theatre troupe in Japan, Miko attracted the attention of Burt Reynolds, who was en route to the Philippines to film Impasse (1969), a story about soldiers-of-fortune searching for a stash of gold bars hidden during World War II. Reynolds quickly cast Miko as Mariko, his on-screen mistress. Their relationship soon grew closer, and the couple moved back to the U.S., living together from 1968 until 1971. Following her role in Impasse, Miko was cast as Fumiko, the mistress of plantation owner Whipple Hoxworth (Charlton Heston), in the epic drama The Hawaiians (1970), adapted from James A. Michener's novel.
Privately, Burt and Miko's relationship went well until 1971, when Reynolds met TV host, singer, and actress Dinah Shore. Their breakup led to a settlement for Miko, which included a beach apartment, Burt's Cadillac, and a $500 weekly allowance. Later, she was briefly married to Martin Erlichman, the longtime manager of Barbra Streisand.
Miko's last notable role was in a season seven episode of M*A*S*H (1972), where she played Sun Pak, the daughter of a sick Korean ex-cavalry officer, who, due to circumstances, was doing laundry for the 4077th.
