Evelyn Guerrero, who grew up in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, had a rather unique introduction to the man who would later become her husband, Pat Morita. Back in 1964, while Evelyn was still a young girl, the future Mr. Miyagi was just beginning his journey in the entertainment world as a nightclub host. Interestingly, he shared a manager with Evelyn’s mother, who worked as a stripper and performed while Evelyn quietly did her homework off-stage.
By 1969, Evelyn had stepped into the spotlight herself, making her feature film debut in Wild Wheels, a gritty exploitation flick centered around surfers and bikers. The 1970s saw her taking on a variety of small roles in both television and film, but one of her more memorable performances came in 1979 when she played the unfortunate victim of a serial killer in the horror film The Toolbox Murders.
Then came 1980, which proved to be a pivotal year for Evelyn Guerrero. She appeared as Cheech Marin’s girlfriend in Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, a stoner comedy that brought her a new level of recognition. She would go on to reprise that role in the duo’s next two films, solidifying her presence in the comedy scene. That same year, Evelyn also made history by becoming the first Latina to pose for Playboy magazine, further boosting her public profile.
Throughout the 1980s, Evelyn continued to appear in various television shows, landing a short recurring role on the popular primetime soap opera Dallas. Her personal life took a romantic turn in the mid-90s when she and Pat Morita reconnected, eventually tying the knot in 1994. In 1999, the couple even shared the screen together in the action film Inferno, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
After Pat Morita’s passing in 2005, Evelyn Guerrero chose to step back from the public eye, maintaining a quiet and private life ever since.
Evelyn Guerrero has been part of several movies, but her highest rated one so far is More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story, which came out in 2021. On the flip side, her lowest rated film happens to be Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dreams from 1981. While tastes can vary, these two films represent the extremes in terms of how audiences and critics have responded to Evelyn Guerrero’s work over the years.