The entertainment world is sending an outpouring of tributes following the loss of celebrated actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. According to TMZ, the 75-year-old actor passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025, following complications from a stroke. Reports indicate he was surrounded by his children and family at the time of his death.
Biography and Career
Born in Tokyo on September 27, 1950, Tagawa moved to the United States as a child and was raised in Southern California. The son of a U.S. Army veteran and a Takarazuka actress, he discovered acting while in high school and went on to study at the University of Southern California.
While he became a pop-culture icon for his role as Shang Tsung in the 1995 hit Mortal Kombat, his major career breakthrough occurred earlier in 1987. He played Eunuch Chang in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, a critically acclaimed film that won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Personal Life
Tagawa is survived by his three children, whom he shared with his ex-wife, Sally Phillips. The couple married in 1984 and remained together until their divorce in 2014.
Notable figures in the industry, including Ed Boon, Margie Weiner, and Penny Vizcarra, have shared public condolences regarding his passing.