Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film, has passed away at the age of 75.
Character actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who famously portrayed the sorcerer Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film, has passed away at age 75 due to complications from a stroke, Deadline reported. He was surrounded by family and loved ones.
Tagawa worked on well over 100 projects throughout his acting career, spanning nearly four decades. His first role was an uncredited appearance in John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China. Over the ensuing years, he appeared in 1988's Twins, 1989's Licence to Kill, and 2001's Pearl Harbor, among many others.
However, his most notable role to many video game and movie fans was in 1995's Mortal Kombat, where he became the character Shang Tsung.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa IS Shang Tsung
Most fans will always associate Tagawa with Shang Tsung because of his brilliant portrayal. He was menacing, relentless, and pure evil as he pursued winning Outworld's tenth consecutive Mortal Kombat tournament to claim Earthrealm.
Tagawa returned to the role of Shang Tsung after 18 years in 2013's Mortal Kombat: Legacy. The Machinima webshow ran for two seasons and 19 episodes, two of which featured the actor as the sorcerer once again.
Apart from his physical appearance and martial arts prowess, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's Shang Tsung became an icon for his delivery of the line "Your soul is mine." This line appeared several more times over the years, including Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat 11 (2019).
He reprised his role as Shang Tsung in voice and likeness as part of Mortal Kombat 11's DLC, where he was the primary antagonist. Tagawa even gave fans one last "your soul is mine" that will live on forever. Fans frequently credit Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's portrayal of Shang Tsung for the character's impact.
Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon took to social media with his tribute, saying, "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."
