Mortal Kombat Star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies at 75, Creator Ed Boone Pays Tribute

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the Japanese-American actor best known for playing the iconic villain Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film, has died at the age of 75. The actor passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, due to complications from a stroke. The actor’s publicist Penny Vizcarra confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.Tagawa’s former wife of 30 years, Sally Phillips, paid tribute to him, recalling how he arrived in Los Angeles teaching his own martial arts discipline, Chu Shin, before being discovered by filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci. That discovery led to Tagawa’s first major role as Chang in The Last Emperor, setting the stage for a prolific career that would span more than 30 films, as well as standout roles in television, including

Prime Video’s The Man in the High Castle.

Ed Boone, he co-creator of Mortal Kombat, took to X, formerly Twitter shared a poignant note, paying tribute to the later actor. He wrote, "We lost a legend today. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa @CHTOfficial played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film and sadly passed away at age 75. We had the privilege of his portrayal on the first MK film but also as an amazing voice actor in the Mortal Kombat 11 game. Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, swagger and athleticism to his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on film. Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal. #MortalKombat”Also Read: Paranormal Activity Now Gets A Conjuring Connect; Details InsideBorn in Tokyo on September 27, 1950, to actress Mariko Hata, Tagawa spent much of his childhood moving across the United States due to his father’s service in the American Army. He grew up in North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas before settling in Southern California, where he first discovered his passion for acting at Duarte High School. Tagawa often spoke about navigating life as a Japanese American in the post-war South, reflecting on the resilience it instilled in him.His breakthrough came in 1987 when Bertolucci cast him in The Last Emperor, an experience Tagawa once described as “mind-boggling” and “a dream come true.” After that, he became a familiar face in Hollywood, especially in roles that blended his commanding screen presence with his martial arts background. Along with Mortal Kombat, he appeared in Licence to Kill, Rising Sun, Pearl Harbor, Memoirs of a Geisha, Planet of the Apes, and popular television series such as Nash Bridges, Heroes, and Revenge.At the time of his passing, Tagawa was living on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. He is survived by his children Calen, Byrnne and Cana, and his grandchildren River and Thea Clayton.