Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the Japanese-American actor best known for portraying Shang Tsung in the "Mortal Kombat" franchise and for his role in Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle", has died at the age of 75.

Tagawa passed away on Thursday (December 4) in Santa Barbara from complications following a stroke, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.

His association with "Mortal Kombat" spanned decades. Tagawa first embodied the sorcerer Shang Tsung in Paul WS Anderson's 1995 film, a performance that became definitive for fans of the franchise. He later reprised the character across film, television, and gaming iterations, including "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" (2013), "Mortal Kombat X: Generations" (2015), and the hit video game "Mortal Kombat 11", along with its expansions "Aftermath" and "Ultimate". Though he appeared in the 1997 sequel "Annihilation" only through archival footage, his hold on the character — and the fandom — remained unmatched.

Born in Tokyo to a military family, Tagawa spent his adolescence moving across the United States before settling in Los Angeles. There, he developed his acting career while teaching Chu Shin, his own style of martial arts.

His first on-screen role was in Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor", the 1987 epic that swept nine Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. Tagawa often recalled the project with awe. In a 2015 interview with AV Club, he described the experience as "mind-boggling," saying it felt like "a dream come true" to work with one of the world's greatest directors so early in his career.

Over the years, he built a filmography that spanned major Hollywood productions and cult classics. His notable credits include "License to Kill" (1989), "Planet of the Apes" (2001), "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005), and "Tekken" (2010). On television, he appeared in "Nash Bridges", "Hawaii", "Revenge", "Teen Wolf", "Star Wars: Rebels", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle", Amazon's Emmy-winning "Man in the High Castle", and Netflix's "Blue Eye Samurai" (2023).

Tagawa often spoke of how "Mortal Kombat" shaped his trajectory. "It was a game-changer," he told AV Club in 2015. Returning to Shang Tsung for later projects, he said, was "a pleasure," adding that it allowed him to reintroduce the character to a new generation. "It's definitely a huge part of my career," he said, though he noted he felt equally fortunate to have worked on so many memorable films.

Away from the screen, Tagawa lived with his wife, Sally, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where they raised their two children.

He is survived by Sally; his three children, Calen, Byrnne, and Cana; and two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.