‘Mortal Kombat’
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dead at 75
Published December 4, 2025 5:54 PM PST
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, an actor famous for his work in the ‘Mortal Kombat’ franchise, is dead.
Tagawa died Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, the result of complications from a stroke … his family tells Deadline.
He was reportedly surrounded by family, including his children, when he died.
Tagawa is famous for playing Shang Tsung, an evil sorcerer, in ‘Mortal Kombat’ movies, TV shows, and video games.
In addition to his work in ‘Mortal Kombat,’ Tagawa is also known for his roles in “The Last Emperor”, “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “The Man in the High Castle.”
Tagawa was a martial artist trained in Kendo. He was born in Japan but moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina when he was 5 years old. In a 2010 interview, he recalled being Japanese in the South in the 1950s … saying it was “pretty tough.”
Among his nearly 150 acting credits … “Big Trouble in Little China,” “Tekken,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes,” “Elektra,” “Snow Falling on Cedars,” “47 Ronin” and “License to Kill.”
Tagawa was 75.
RIP
