On Thursday, December 4th, the Japanese-American actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa passed away in Santa Barbara, surrounded by his family. His manager announced that a stroke ended his life at age 75.
“With great sorrow, we say goodbye to one of the most wonderful people we ever had the privilege to work with. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, due to a stroke. Unfortunately, he had suffered another one before this,” his team shared on their Instagram account.
“Thanks to you, wonderful fans, his soul will live forever through your memories and support. We ask for patience as his family requests privacy while they go through this difficult morning. Rest in peace, King Cary, we will love you for eternity. 🙏” they added.
A Career Full of Successes
One of the recognizable faces in major international productions. His first big role came with Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor. However, among his most popularly remembered roles is that of the villain Kwang in the James Bond film Licence to Kill.
Another role that brought him great popularity was Shang Tsung in the first Mortal Kombat movie. In fact, he also voiced the character in the video game Mortal Kombat 11. This was remembered on social media by Ed Boon, co-creator of the franchise: “Today we lost a legend,” he said. “Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, charisma, and athleticism in his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on screen.”
Video games offered him many opportunities beyond Mortal Kombat. We also saw him in Soldier Boyz, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, and World of Warcraft: Legion. He also played Heihachi Mishima in the Tekken adaptation.
He also had significant roles on television, allowing us to see him in series such as Nash Bridges, Revenge, The Man in the High Castle, Miami Vice, MacGyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Hawaii Five-0.
Read the article in Spanish by Cristina Zavala
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