Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for roles in the Mortal Kombat film has died at the age of 75 from complications due to a stroke, his agent, Margie Weiner, confirmed to the Associated Press in an emailed statement on Thursday (December 4).
The Tokoyo-born performer was best known for his role as Shang Tsung in multiple Mortal Kombat projects, including the 1995 movie, as well as on TV and video games. He also played roles in films including “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes,” “47 Ronin,” “Elektra” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
Tagawa’s last major role came in 2015, when he played one of the lead characters in Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle. His final role was voicing Eiji the Swordmaker in Season 1 of Netflix’s animated Blue Eye Samurai.
His manager, Margie Weiner, spoke about their client-relationship turning into a familial one, per Variety. “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. 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 to an actress mother and Japanese American father who served in the military, Tagawa attended high school near Los Angeles, where he first started acting, and then attended USC. He began teaching his own style of martial arts called Chu Shin.
He is survived by his children Calen, Byrnne and Cana, and two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.