SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, an actor from Tokyo recognized for his performances in the “Mortal Kombat” series and “The Man in the High Castle,” has passed away at the age of 75.
Tagawa died in Santa Barbara, surrounded by family, after complications from a stroke, as confirmed by his manager, Margie Weiner, on Thursday.
“Cary was truly a unique individual: generous, thoughtful, and unwaveringly committed to his craft,” she shared in an email. “His absence is a tremendous loss. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone who cherished him.”
His extensive career began to flourish in 1987 with his part in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film, The Last Emperor. Since then, Tagawa appeared in notable films like “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes,” and “License to Kill.”
Growing up mainly in the southern part of the U.S., Tagawa’s father, who originated from Hawaii, was assigned to an Army base in the mainland. His early years were spent in Honolulu and Kauai.
His father met his mother in Japan. Tagawa mentioned that he was named after Cary Grant while his brother bore the name Gregory Peck, as reported to Honolulu Magazine. His mother, Ayako, was a stage actress in Japan, but she advised him against pursuing acting due to the limited roles available for Asians.
Before venturing into acting at 36, Tagawa held various jobs including celery farming, limousine driving, driving a pizza supply truck, and working as a photojournalist.
In a 2005 discussion, Tagawa reflected, “On one hand, the situation for Asian actors in Hollywood is better than ever, but on the other, not much has really changed. The number of opportunities isn’t greatly increasing, though visibility is,” he said.
He portrayed a baron in the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha, a story that traces a young girl’s journey from poverty in a Japanese fishing village to high society.
While some critics described the film as lacking realism, Tagawa pointed out that it was unreasonable to expect a fictional work, created by Americans, to fully capture Japanese culture.
“What was the expectation? This is not a documentary,” he expressed to The Associated Press in 2006. “Unless it’s made by Japanese creators, it remains an interpretation.”
Although he practiced various martial arts, Tagawa stepped back from competition, preferring to develop a program he called Ninjah Sportz, which emphasizes martial arts as a tool for training and healing. He collaborated with professional athletes, including World Boxing Council Light Flyweight Champion Brian Viloria, and consulted for the University of Hawaii football team.
In 2008, Tagawa admitted guilt to a misdemeanor harassment charge involving his girlfriend, who reportedly had visible bruises at the time. His attorney stated that he accepted full responsibility for the incident without making any justifications.
