Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa cause of death update: What happened to Mortal Kombat star? Details emerge | Hindustan Times
Updated on: Dec 05, 2025 07:37 am IST
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, actor famous for his role as the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, has died
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, actor famous for his role as the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, has died. His family confirmed the unfortunate news to Deadline. He was 75 years old. As per the report, Tagawa passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara, California. He was reportedly surrounded by family, including his children.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has died at 75(X)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa cause of death update
Tagawa’s family told Deadline that he died of complications from a stroke.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s legacy
Tagawa built a four-decade career defined by unforgettable roles across film, television, and video games. He was best known as the sinister sorcerer Shang Tsung, a character he portrayed across nearly every major film of the Mortal Kombat franchise.
The 75-year-old first embodied the villain in New Line Cinema’s 1995 film adaptation, returned for its 1997 sequel, and later reprised the role in Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2013), Mortal Kombat X: Generations (2015), Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), and the 2023 game Mortal Kombat: Onslaught.
He once said: “It was the perfect timing in that Mortal Kombat as a video game, at the time we did the film, was on number four or five and that the impact of the film certainly had to do with the build of the video games.”
He also praised director Paul WS Anderson, saying, “He was the first one in martial arts history to apply such music, really upbeat, driving metal music. You couldn’t sit still when you heard the music. And it matched the action so well.”
Fans pay tributes
“RIP Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. I will never forget your iconic role as Shang Tsung. Mortal Kombat was a big part of many children’s lives when I was growing up and your performance was a gift to all of us,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“RIP Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, an absolute legend of the Asian-American community. Thank you for all your phenomenal contributions to cinema,” another one added.
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