Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Star of ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘The Man in the High Castle,’ Passes Away at Age 75

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, widely recognized for his portrayal of the sinister sorcerer Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat series as well as notable roles in The Last Emperor, Licence to Kill, and The Man in the High Castle, passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara due to complications from a stroke. He was 75.

Tagawa made his screen debut in Bernardo Bertoluccis acclaimed film The Last Emperor, which opened the door to his performance as the antagonist Kwang in the James Bond film Licence to Kill.

On television, he appeared frequently, holding a recurring role on Nash Bridges and making guest appearances on popular series such as Miami Vice, Knots Landing, Moonlighting, and Baywatch.

His enduring association with the Mortal Kombat franchise began with the 1995 live-action film, later continuing in the 2013 series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and extending to his voice role in the video game Mortal Kombat 11.

Tagawas filmography also includes performances in Rising Sun, Snow Falling on Cedars, Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes, and Memoirs of a Geisha. He starred as Trade Minister Nobusuke Tagomi in Amazons The Man in the High Castle, and appeared as Hiroki Watanabe in Netflixs Lost in Space.

Although often cast as a villain, Tagawa spoke in 2007 about embracing those roles as part of building his career, noting that the opportunity to play heroic characters might never have come without first excelling in darker portrayals.

Born in Tokyo to an actress mother and a Japanese American father serving in the U.S. military, Tagawa moved to the Los Angeles area during his youth, where he discovered acting before attending USC. He later developed and taught his own martial arts discipline, Chu Shin.

Tagawa is survived by his children Calen, Byrnne, and Cana, as well as his grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.

Author: Grace Ellison