Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, star of "Mortal Kombat" and "Man in the High Castle," passes away at the age of 75

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the Japanese-American actor renowned for roles in Mortal Kombat, The Last Emperor, and The Man in the High Castle, has died at the age of 75 in Santa Barbara, California due to complications from a stroke. The news was confirmed by his publicist, Penny Vizcarra.

Tagawas former wife of three decades, Sally Phillips, and mother of their two children, reflected on his career and life, noting that he moved to Los Angeles to teach his unique martial arts style, Chu Shin. He was discovered by director Bernardo Bertolucci and cast in his debut role as the eunuch Chang in The Last Emperor, which propelled him into prominence as a leading Asian actor, appearing in over 30 films and the acclaimed series The Man in the High Castle.

Born in Tokyo on September 27, 1950, to Japanese actress Mariko Hata, Tagawa grew up moving across the United States due to his fathers service in the American Army. His childhood was spent in North Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas before his family settled in Southern California, where he first developed a passion for acting while attending Duarte High School.

He often spoke about the influence of post-World War II attitudes toward Japanese-Americans on his upbringing. In 2001, he remarked on growing up in the southern U.S. a decade after the war, emphasizing his resilient and determined approach to life and career opportunities.

Tagawas breakthrough came in 1987 when Bertolucci cast him in The Last Emperor. He later gained international recognition for portraying the villainous Shang Tsung in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat and Trade Minister Nobusuke Tagomi in the Prime Video adaptation of The Man in the High Castle.

Throughout his career, he also appeared in films including Licence to Kill, Pearl Harbor, Rising Sun, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Planet of the Apes, as well as TV shows such as Nash Bridges, Heroes, and Revenge.

At the time of his passing, Tagawa resided on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. He is survived by his three children, Calen, Byrnne, and Cana, along with two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.

Author: Jackson Miller