Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor best known for playing Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat franchise, passed away Thursday (December 4) morning at the age of 75.
The veteran actor and producer died due to complications from a stroke, and was surrounded by his children, according to a statement from his family reported by Deadline.
Tagawa enjoyed a prolific career of nearly forty years acting across film, television, and video games. He is most recognisable to fans of Mortal Kombat for playing Shang Tsung, the villainous sorcerer and the main antagonist of the franchise.
He first played the character in the 1995 film adaptation, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and reprised the role in 2013 TV series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. His voice and likeness would be used for the character in the 2019 video game Mortal Kombat 11.
Outside of that series, he appeared in the 1987 drama The Last Emperor, which won nine Oscars including Best Film; Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of Planet Of The Apes; and Marvel film Elektra (2005). On the small screen, he appeared in ‘80s classic series Miami Vice; Amazon series The Man In The High Castle; and Disney+ animation Star Wars: Visions.
We lost a legend today. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa @CHTOfficial played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film and sadly passed away at age 75. We had the privilege of his portrayal on the first MK film but also as an amazing voice actor in the Mortal Kombat 11 game.
Cary was one… pic.twitter.com/iAnTc0odGH
— Ed Boon (@noobde) December 5, 2025
Ed Boon, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat, paid tribute to the actor on X (formerly Twitter). “ We lost a legend today” he posted. “Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film and sadly passed away at age 75. We had the privilege of his portrayal on the first MK film but also as an amazing voice actor in the Mortal Kombat 11 game.”
He continued: “Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, swagger and athleticism to his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on film. Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal.”
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is survived by three children, Calen, Brynne and Cana; as well as two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.
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