Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a celebrated actor known for his work in film, television, and video games, passed away last Thursday at the age of 75. He appeared in many popular projects, including The Man in the High Castle, Memoirs of a Geisha, Star Wars: Rebels, and Blue Eye Samurai. He was particularly famous for playing Shang Tsung in the original Mortal Kombat movie, and the creator of the Mortal Kombat series has now honored the late actor.
Ed Boon, creator of Mortal Kombat, shared a tribute on X to Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who sadly passed away at age 75. Tagawa famously played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie and also lent his voice to the character in the Mortal Kombat 11 game. Boon described Tagawa as a legend and expressed gratitude for his work in both the films and games.
Today, we mourn the loss of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a true icon. Best known for his unforgettable role as Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, he passed away at the age of 75. We were fortunate to experience his talent not only in the original film, but also through his incredible voice work in Mortal Kombat 11. Cary was a remarkable…
— Ed Boon (@noobde) December 5, 2025
Cary was a truly unique performer. He brought a thrilling mix of intensity, confidence, and physical skill to every role, and he’ll always be best known for being the first actor to play Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat movies. He will be deeply missed. Rest in peace. His memory lives on. #MortalKombat
Throughout his career, Tagawa has been involved in several Mortal Kombat projects. He first played Tsung in the original movie and later returned to the role in Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Mortal Kombat X: Generations, and, as Ed Boon revealed, Mortal Kombat 11.
Besides playing Shang Tsung, Tagawa lent his voice to many video game characters, including projects like Overwatch: Dragons, World of Warcraft: Legion, and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, where he played the main villain. He also brought another famous fighting game character to life on film, portraying Heihachi Mishima in the Tekken movie.
Tagawa has also lent his voice to several animated projects, including Blue Eye Samurai, Star Wars: Visions, DuckTales, Star Wars: Rebels, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He’s also appeared in numerous live-action TV series, such as Lost in Space, Grimm, The Librarians, Revenge, Hawaii Five-0, Heroes, and Nash Bridges, among others.
Our thoughts are with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s family and friends.
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2025-12-06 16:10