Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa — American actor of Japanese descent, was mainly known as perfect villain of Hollywood.
He was widely recognized for his commanding presence in the Mortal Kombat franchise and celebrated performances in The Last Emperor and The Man in the High Castle.
But now, he has died in Santa Barbara at the age of 75.
Some people were just born with a villain face.
No matter which movie or TV show Cary Tagawa appeared in, he always had that look — like he was claiming your soul and fully intended to take it.
It’s wild how convincingly played villains. He made you hate him on screen, but so many people have said he was incredibly likeable in real life.
For everyone who looked up to him and hoped to become actors one day, he once shared this advice:
”First, the worse possible thing that you could do as an actor is to start to believe the [Hollywood] hype. Number two, go for the craft, and forget everything else”.
Across a career spanning decades, Tagawa amassed more than 150 appearances in film and television. His movie credits ranged from cult favorites like Big Trouble in Little China to major studio releases including License to Kill, Rising Sun, Snow Falling on Cedars, Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes, Elektra, Memoirs of a Geisha, and 47 Ronin.
On the small screen, he made memorable guest appearances on series such as MacGyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Miami Vice, along with more substantial arcs on Nash Bridges, Hawaii, Revenge, and the animated series Blue Eye Samurai.
Among all his roles, none became more iconic than that of Shang Tsung, the sinister sorcerer from the Mortal Kombat universe. Tagawa first portrayed the character in New Line Cinema’s 1995 film adaptation, returned for Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and later revived the role in the 2013 series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
His likeness and voice were also featured in the 2019 game Mortal Kombat 11 and the 2023 title Mortal Kombat: Onslaught. Images released with the announcement note: Tagawa passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning (Vincent Sandoval/WireImage).
Although Mortal Kombat cemented him as a fan favorite, Tagawa’s breakout came earlier with Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 Oscar-winning The Last Emperor, in which he played Chang, the emperor’s driver—a small but pivotal role that opened doors to the wave of film opportunities that followed.
Tagawa’s formidable on-screen physicality drew heavily from his lifelong martial arts training. He began practicing kendo in junior high and later added karate while studying at the University of Southern California.
After graduating, he returned to Japan to train under Master Nakayama of the Japan Karate Association. Over time, he even created his own martial arts system, Chun-Shin.
His family confirmed that he passed away early Thursday morning, surrounded by his children, following complications from a stroke.
He is survived by his three children—Calen, Brynne and Cana—as well as two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.
