Hollywood actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, best known for the Mortal Kombat franchise, has died at 75 from complications following a stroke, USA Today reported.
Tagawa died Dec. 4 in Santa Barbara. The Tokyo-born actor rose to prominence through his roles across the Mortal Kombat universe, including the 1995 film, television adaptations and video games. His film credits also include «Pearl Harbor,» «Planet of the Apes,» «47 Ronin,» «Elektra» and «Memoirs of a Geisha.»
He moved to the U.S. at a young age and enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he studied traditional Japanese karate. He later returned to Japan to continue his training with the Japan Karate Association and went on to develop his own martial arts style, Chun-Shin.
Tagawa earned his greatest fame playing the villain Shang Tsung in the film series based on the iconic fighting game Mortal Kombat. His line «Your soul is mine» became instantly recognizable thanks to his performance. First delivered in the 1995 film, the phrase became the character’s signature and remained a staple throughout the long-running franchise.
