Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the Japanese-American actor who became a household name for his iconic turn as the villain 'Shang Tsung' in the 'Mortal Kombat' film, has passed away at the age of 75 due to complications from a stroke on the 5th (local time).

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Tagawa was something of a fixture in Hollywood as the quintessential Asian antagonist, leaving his mark across film, television, and gaming alike. His career kicked off in 1987 with a role as the Emperor’s chauffeur in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 'The Last Emperor'. At a time when American anxiety over Japan’s economic rise was at its peak, Tagawa used his sharp features to carve out a niche for himself, playing yakuza henchmen and Asian villains in films like 'Licence to Kill', 'Rising Sun', and 'Showdown in Little Tokyo'.

In past interviews, Tagawa was candid about his typecasting, suggesting that without those villainous roles, he likely wouldn't have been given a chance to act at all; he simply made sure to be the best villain on screen. In his later years, he showed his range in the 2015 Amazon series 'The Man in the High Castle', playing the peace-seeking Trade Minister Nobusuke Tagomi—a character he noted mirrored his own experience as someone born in Tokyo and moving to the US after the war.

For us gamers, he is firmly etched in history as 'Shang Tsung'. His performance in the 1995 live-action 'Mortal Kombat' film was so definitive that he became synonymous with the character. He didn't just walk away from the role, either; he reprised it for the 2013 web series and later returned to provide his voice and likeness for the 2019 game 'Mortal Kombat 11'.

He didn't stop there, appearing as Heihachi Mishima in the 2009 live-action 'Tekken' film. Unlike the original game, he played a more heroic figure asking for help to stop his son Kazuya’s schemes, though the film itself was widely considered a failure, causing his performance to be largely forgotten.

Beyond his most famous roles, he boasted a prolific career with over 150 credits to his name, including 'Pearl Harbor', 'Memoirs of a Geisha', and 'Lost in Space'. Outside of acting, he was a dedicated martial artist who had trained in karate since university and eventually founded 'Chu Shin', a unique system of martial arts that focuses on movement rather than physical combat.