‘Mortal Kombat’ Star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies at 75

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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor known for playing Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, as well as roles in The Man in the High Castle and the 1987 film The Last Emperor, has passed away at the age of 75. Deadline reported that Tagawa died on Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, due to complications from a stroke.

Actor Tagawa has been working since the 1980s, appearing in popular television shows like MacGyver, Miami Vice, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He first became well-known for his part in Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor.

The actor’s martial arts training helped him secure the role of Shang Tsung in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat. He played the character again in the 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, and continued to reprise the role in various forms over the years. This included appearances in the 2013 web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, the 2015 animated film Mortal Kombat X: Generations, and a video game version of Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 11, where his appearance was used. In 2023, the game Mortal Kombat: Onslaught once again featured his likeness, solidifying his connection to the character for many gamers.

Tagawa has been in many well-known films and TV shows, including Pearl Harbor, Memoirs of a Geisha, Elektra, and 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves. He’s also highly praised for his role as Nobusuke Tagomi in the Prime Video series The Man in the High Castle, where he appeared in all 30 episodes.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Led an Interesting Life Outside of Film & TV


New Line Cinema

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was born in Japan and moved around a lot as a child because his father was in the Army. He eventually discovered his love for acting thanks to his mother, after the family settled in Southern California. While he became known for his work in movies and television, Tagawa also pursued unique interests that will be remembered long after his on-screen roles. In a 2013 interview with Deadline, he shared:

I grew up in Tokyo and started learning Kendo in junior high. When I was five years old, my family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and that’s where I truly began to understand the power of martial arts. Growing up Japanese in the American South during the 1950s presented some challenges.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is well-known for his martial arts background, which boosted his career in action films. He didn’t just practice them, though – he created his own style called “Chuu Shin,” a system that combines martial arts with healing techniques to balance the mind and body. Remarkably, he also worked as a massage therapist for the University of Hawaii football team. While many recognize him from Mortal Kombat, Tagawa’s lasting legacy will be his unique life’s work and the family he cherished.

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2025-12-06 01:18