Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for his work in films like The Last Emperor and Mortal Kombat, has died at age 75. He passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, due to complications after a stroke, according to his publicist Penny Vizcarra and manager Margie Weiner.
He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.
Born in Japan, Tagawa enjoyed a successful acting career lasting over three decades, appearing in numerous films and TV shows. He first became widely known for his role in the Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor in 1987.
In a 2015 interview with the A.V. Club, Tagawa described the experience as incredible, saying it was amazing to suddenly be collaborating with a world-renowned director – someone he considered to be among the best ten in the world.
After his initial success, he landed parts in several well-known films. These included a role in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989) and the character Eddie Sakamura in the 1993 film Rising Sun, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, where he acted alongside Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes.
I’ll always remember Tagawa as the incredibly menacing Shang Tsung from the original Mortal Kombat movie! He really made that villain iconic, and it’s been amazing to see him bring that character back to life in so many different ways over the years – in sequels, on TV, and even in the video games. He truly became Shang Tsung!
Tagawa also acted in popular movies like Pearl Harbor (2001) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). In 2015, he landed a significant TV role in Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, which was based on the novel by Philip K. Dick.
He portrayed Nobusuke Tagomi, a Japanese government official dealing with life in a world where Germany and Japan won World War II. Tagawa explained that he connected with the character because, like Tagomi, he was an Asian American growing up in the U.S. after the war and understood what it felt like to be an outsider.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is remembered for his impactful and varied performances in movies, TV shows, and video games. He’s inspired both actors and fans for years.
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2025-12-05 10:44