Hollywood and gaming fans are mourning the passing of acclaimed actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for his role as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat.
He died at the age of 75 on Thursday, December 4, 2025, reportedly due to complications from a stroke, TMZ reports.
Tagawa spent his final moments surrounded by family, including his children.
Born on September 27, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, Tagawa moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Southern California. His father, a Japanese-American, served in the US Army, while his mother was a Takarazuka actress. Tagawa developed an interest in acting during high school and later honed his craft at the University of Southern California.
He first gained international attention in 1987 with his role as Eunuch Chang in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, a film that won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tagawa cemented his place in pop culture with his iconic portrayal of Shang Tsung in the 1995 blockbuster Mortal Kombat.
Tagawa is survived by his three children with ex-wife Sally Phillips, whom he married in 1984 and divorced in 2014.
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