Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for his iconicโฃ role as Shang Tsung โinโ the “Mortal Kombat” video game adn film franchise, hasโ died at the age of 75. โTagawa passed away on December 5, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii, from aโ stroke, his daughterโ Brynne Tagawa โconfirmed to USA Today.
Tagawa’s portrayal of the shape-shifting sorcerer Shang Tsung in “Mortal Kombat” (1995) and โ”Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” (1997)โ cemented โขhis place in โpop culture history, earning him a devoted fanbase and โrecognition as a formidable screen villain. Beyond “Mortal Kombat,” Tagawa enjoyed a prolific โcareer spanning decades, showcasing his versatility in both action and dramatic roles.
Born in Honoluluโข on โJuly 27, 1949, Tagawa began โhis martial arts training at age six, studying โkarate and other disciplines. He later โhoned his skills at the Japanโ Karate Associationโ before developing his โขown martial artโ form, Chun-Shin.this expertiseโข translated seamlessly to Hollywood, where he landed roles inโฃ films like “Rising Sun” (1993), alongside Wesley Snipes โand Sean Connery, and “showdown in Little Tokyo” (1991) with Brandon Lee and Dolph Lundgren.
Tagawa’s filmography also includes Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning epic “The Last โEmperor” (1987), โwhere he was part ofโ the ensemble cast. More recently, he appeared in Amazon’s critically acclaimedโข series “The Man in the โHigh Castle” (2015-2019), portraying Trade Minister Nobusukeโค Tagomi.
He and his wife,Sally,moved โto Hawaii,whereโฃ they raised their โthree children,Calen,Brynne,and Cana,on the islandโ of Kauai. Tagawa is โขalso survived by โtwo grandchildren, River and Theaโ Clayton.โ
Tagawa made a final public appearance with his wife Sally at the premiere of “The Art of War” on August 23, 2000.
