‘Mortal Kombat’ actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has passed away at age 75

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I was so sad to hear that Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa passed away. He was 75. For me, and a lot of fans, he was Shang Tsung in the original Mortal Kombat movie from 1995 – he totally nailed the role, and it’s really hard to imagine anyone else playing him.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for playing Shang Tsung in the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat, has died at the age of 75. According to Deadline, he passed away due to complications from a stroke and was surrounded by his family.

Throughout his nearly forty-year acting career, Tagawa appeared in more than 100 films and television shows. He began with a small, uncredited role in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, and went on to appear in popular movies like Twins (1988), Licence to Kill (1989), and Pearl Harbor (2001), among many other projects.

Many video game and movie fans remember him best for his role as Shang Tsung in the 1995 film, Mortal Kombat.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa IS Shang Tsung

Tagawa is best known for his incredible performance as Shang Tsung. He perfectly captured the character’s frightening, never-stopping, and purely evil nature as he tried to secure Outworld’s tenth straight win in the Mortal Kombat tournament and conquer Earthrealm.

After an 18-year hiatus, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa reprised his role as Shang Tsung in the 2013 web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. The series, produced by Machinima, spanned two seasons and 19 episodes, with Tagawa appearing as the sorcerer in two of them.

Honestly, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was Shang Tsung for me. It wasn’t just how he looked or how amazing he was at the fighting, it was how he said “Your soul is mine.” That line just became legendary. And it’s awesome they kept bringing it back, I remember hearing it in both the 2011 Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat 11 a few years ago – still gives me chills!

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa returned as Shang Tsung for downloadable content in Mortal Kombat 11, once again serving as the main villain. He even delivered his iconic line, “Your soul is mine,” which fans will remember for years to come. Many fans believe Tagawa’s performance is a major reason why Shang Tsung is such a popular character.

Ed Boon, a co-creator of Mortal Kombat, shared a heartfelt tribute online, describing Cary as a uniquely talented performer. He noted Cary’s ability to blend intensity, confidence, and physical skill into his roles, and will always be remembered for being the first actor to portray Shang Tsung in a live-action movie.

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2025-12-05 08:41