Mortal Kombat Creator Pays Tribute To Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Who Gave Us An Unforgettable Shang Tsung
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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the Japanese-American actor best known for roles in The Man in the High Castle, The Last Emperor, and the 1995 Mortal Kombat film, has died, aged 75.
Tributes are pouring in, with the Mortal Kombat community praising his unforgettable performance as Shang Tsung. To this day, his turn as the villainous sorcerer is seen as the definitive depiction of the character, with Tagawa’s passion and energy bleeding through into his performance.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies Aged 75, Mortal Kombat Community Pays Tribute
As reported by Deadline, Tagawa died yesterday morning due to complications from a stroke. He was surrounded by his family.
Mortal Kombat series co-creator Ed Boon is among those leading the tributes to Tagawa.
“We lost a legend today,” says Boon. “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. Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal.”
As Boon also highlights, Tagawa also reprised the role of Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 11, with the character’s design resembling the actor. Yet again, his animated performance graced our screens, letting him deliver one of his most iconic lines all over again: “Your soul is mine”.
As the story goes, Tagawa was the only actor considered for the role of Shang Tsung. He was said to have turned up to the audition in costume and delivered his lines while standing on a chair. Tagawa actually shared a post that recounted this anecdote on his Twitter account, so it’s safe to say that he stood by this dramatic take on Shand Tsung – and fans loved it.
Ultimately, Mortal Kombat is a film with a lot of heart, full of charm and some incredible action sequences. Tagawa captured both of these elements in every scene he was in, and his version of Shang Tsung will live on in the Mortal Kombat community.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is survived by his wife, Sally Phillips Petersen, and their three children.
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