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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, ‘Mortal Kombat’ Star, Dies at 75
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, known for ‘Mortal Kombat’ and other films, dies at 75 from stroke complications.
12/5/25, 9:15 AM
Japanese-born American actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for his role as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat (1995), has died at the age of 75.
Tagawa’s publicist, Penny Vizcarra, confirmed the actor passed away on Thursday, December 4, in Santa Barbara, California, due to complications from a stroke. He was reportedly surrounded by his children at the time of his death.
Born in Tokyo on September 27, 1950, Tagawa gained early recognition for his role as the Eunuch in The Last Emperor (1987). He later appeared in films including Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Twins (1988), Licence to Kill (1989), Rising Sun (1993), Vampires (1998), Elektra (2005), Tekken (2009), Little Boy (2015), and Sky Sharks (2020).
In addition to his film work, Tagawa voiced and portrayed Shang Tsung in TV and video game adaptations of the Mortal Kombat franchise, cementing his legacy with fans worldwide.
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