Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor famous for his roles in “Mortal Kombat” and “The Man in the High Castle,” has passed away at the age of 75.
“He passed away surrounded by love, with his family by his side,” she stated.
Tagawa’s prominent career began in 1987, when he starred in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film, “The Last Emperor.” Following that, his filmography included titles like “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes,” and “License to Kill.”
Born in Tokyo, Tagawa was primarily raised in the southern United States, where his father, who was from Hawaii, was stationed at an Army base. He also spent some time in Honolulu and on Kauai.
He portrayed a baron in the 2005 film “Memoirs of a Geisha,” an adaptation that follows a girl’s rise from impoverished beginnings to high society in Japan.
Despite some critiques regarding the film’s authenticity, Tagawa expressed that expecting a Hollywood take on Japanese culture to be completely accurate was unrealistic.
“What did they expect? This wasn’t a documentary,” he remarked to the Associated Press in 2006. “Unless the Japanese make this movie, it’s merely an interpretation.”
While he explored various martial arts, he eventually stepped away from fighting and competition, seeking other avenues instead.
He developed a training and healing practice called Ninjah Sportz, collaborating with professional athletes like World Boxing Council champion Brian Viloria and providing advice to the University of Hawaii football team.
In 2008, Tagawa pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge related to an incident involving his girlfriend, during which police reported she had bruises on her legs.
His attorney noted that he accepted full accountability for the situation from the outset without making excuses.
