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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Defining Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, Dies at 75

His family says he died in Santa Barbara from complications of a recent stroke.

Overview

  • The actor died on December 4 in Santa Barbara, California, with the cause attributed to complications following a recent stroke.
  • Representative Margie Weiner confirmed his death and said he spent his final hours with family.
  • He became widely identified with the villain Shang Tsung across Mortal Kombat films, television projects and video games, including voicing Mortal Kombat 11 and lending his likeness to 2023's Onslaught.
  • His four-decade career spanned standout work in The Last Emperor, Pearl Harbor, Memoirs of a Geisha and the series The Man in the High Castle.
  • Born in Tokyo and raised in the United States, he trained in traditional martial arts and later taught his own system, Chun‑Shin; details on services have not been announced.