‘Mortal Kombat,’ ‘High Castle’ Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies at 75
Cary-hiroyuki Tagawa, a prolific actor known for his iconic role as Shang Tsung in the “Mortal kombat” film franchise and his compelling performance as Nobusuke tagomi in Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle,” has died. He was 75. Tagawa passed away January 3,2024,in Kauai,Hawaii,according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Tokyo shortly after World War II, Tagawa moved to the United States as a child, experiencing firsthand the legacy of the war that would later inform his acting. He initially pursued a different path, focusing on customary Japanese karate at the University of Southern California before studying under Master Nakayama with the Japan Karate Association.He later developed his own system of Chun-Shin, which he described as “a study of energy … wholly without a physical fighting concept.”
Tagawa’s career spanned four decades, encompassing over 150 film, television, and video game projects. He began with an uncredited role in John Carpenter’s 1986 cult classic,Big trouble in Little China,and quickly gained momentum with The Last Emperor in 1987,alongside guest appearances on MacGyver,Star Trek: The Next Generation,and Miami Vice.
He collaborated with prominent directors including Philip Kaufman, Tim Burton, Michael Bay, Rob Marshall, Ivan Reitman, and Carpenter. More recently, Tagawa garnered acclaim for his portrayal of Trade Minister Tagomi in The Man in the High Castle (2015), a role he felt deeply connected to.
“I identified so much with this character and so much of my life experience - having been born in Tokyo and then coming to america just after the war,10 years after the war.I understood and grew up with the legacy of the war. So to be good, bad and ugly – being different – [is the same] as with my character Tagomi, who seems to be the only one running around talking about peace,” Tagawa observed.
Other notable television credits include Lt. A.J.Shimamura on Nash Bridges, Captain Terry Harada on NBC’s Hawaii, Satoshi takeda on ABC’s Revenge, a six-episode arc on Netflix’s Lost in Space, and voicing The Swordmaker in Season 1 of Netflix’s animated Blue Eye Samurai.
Tagawa resided on the island of Kauai with his wife, Sally, where they raised their two children. He is survived by three children – Calen, Brynne, and cana – and two grandchildren, River and Thea clayton.