Hollywood actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa dies after stroke
A Hollywood star who appeared in countless films including James Bond and Pearl Harbor has tragically passed away.
Hollywood star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has died aged 75.
The Tokyo-born actor died surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara after suffering a stroke, his manager Margie Weiner confirmed on Thursday.
A statement from the family read: “Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft.
“His loss is immeasurable. My heart is with his family, friends, and all who loved him.”
Tagawa’s decades of film and TV roles truly got off the ground in 1987 when he appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor.
Since then, he appeared in such films as Pearl Harbour and the James Bond movie Licence to Kill.
The actor earned his most famous role of Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, the movie.
The casting directors for the film were impressed after Tagawa showed up for an audition in full costume and standing on a chair to read his sides.
Tagawa was raised mostly in the US while his Hawaii-born father was assigned to American mainland Army bases.
He lived in Honolulu and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for a while.
He eventually began an acting career at age 36 after being a celery farmer, limo driver, pizza supply truck driver and photojournalist, he said in interviews.
Tagawa played Heihachi Mishima in Tekken, the film adaptation of the video game franchise.
In 2006, he provided the voice of Brushogun in Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo.
In 2008, Tagawa pleaded guilty in a Honolulu court to a petty misdemeanour charge of harassing a girlfriend.
She was found with bruises to her legs, police said at the time.
His lawyer said he took full responsibility for the case from the beginning and made no excuses.
Tagawa married his wife Sally in 1984.
The couple shared three children: a son called Calen and two daughters called Byrnne and Cana.
This story originally appeared on The Sun U.S. and is republished here with permission.
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Originally published as Hollywood actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa dies after stroke
