Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, known for his prolific career in film and TV, has passed away. His resume includes roles in The Man in the High Castle, Memories of a Geisha, and, for many, Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat film series.
According to Deadline, the Japanese actor died this morning, surrounded by family in California. His cause of death was due to complications of a stroke. The actor was only 75 years old.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s Soul is Forever Engrained in Cinema History
Starting in 1986 with Big Trouble in Little China, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa had become a prevalent figure in many blockbusters in the 90s and 2000s. Films like License to Kill, Memories of a Geisha, Elektra, and Planet of the Apes brought the actor into the limelight. However, it was his portrayal of evil sorcerer Shang Tsung in the 1995 film adaptation of Mortal Kombat (and it’s 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation) that made him an icon. While the film was pure 90s, Cary’s devilish portrayal of Tsung was met with high praise, especially for the line “Your Soul is Mine!”.
In the 2010s, Tagawa found himself in roles in projects like The Man in the High Castle, 47 Ronin, and even an adaptation of Tekken as Heihachi Mishima. He even found himself reprising his role as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 11, available as DLC. Other video game credits of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa include Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu and Soldier Boyz.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.
What is your favorite performance of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa? Is it Shang Tsung? Heihachi? Leave a comment below and on the official Insider Gaming Discord.
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