Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, whose 40-year career included unforgettable roles in the Mortal Kombat films and The Man in the High Castle series, has died at the age of 75.
Tagawa died in Santa Barbara on Thursday due to complications from a stroke, Rolling Stone has confirmed. “I had the privilege of representing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa for many years as his long time manager, but our relationship grew into something far deeper — he became like family,” said his longtime manager, Margie Weiner. “Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft. His loss is immeasurable. My heart is with his family, friends, and all who loved him.”
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Tagawa’s mother was an actress and his father served in the military. After moving to various cities, his family settled in Southern California, where he attended high school and later enrolled at the University of Southern California. In Los Angeles, he began acting and developed his own style of martial arts, Chu Shin.
Tagawa’s landed one of his first film features in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film, The Last Emperor, which won nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. The actor looked back on his “mind boggling” experience working with Bertolucci at the time during an interview with AV Club in 2015. “You know, to suddenly be working with one of the top-10 directors in the world, plus the film was in China, I almost blurted out, ‘How much do I have to pay?,’” he recalled. “It was just like a dream come true. That was an amazing experience.”
Tagawa would go on to appear in countless films after, including the villian Kwang in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and Tekken (2010). His unforgettable role as Shang Tsung in the first film adaptation of Mortal Kombat helped cement Paul Anderson’s 1995 film as a cult classic, with Tagawa’s portrayal considered untouchable since. Tagawa would later appear in the TV series Mortal Kombat: Legacy in 2013 and Mortal Kombat X: Generations, as well as the Mortal Kombat 11 video game.
On the small screen, he shone as well, featuring on Nash Bridges, Miami Vice, Baywatch, Hawaii, and more. Among one of his most memorable TV characters arrived in the Emmy Award-winning series, Man in the High Castle, where Tagawa delivered a nuanced portrayal of Trade Minister Nobusuke Tagomi. He also lent his distinct voice to Netflix’s 2023 animated show, Blue Eye Samurai (2023).
