Veteran actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has passed away at the age of 75 due to complications of a stroke. His life and legacy will continue to live on through his iconic works in film and TV, as well as his significant contribution to Asian representation in Hollywood.
Here is a list of the movies and TV shows that Tagawa starred in that you can watch to celebrate his career.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Based on the hit video game, Mortal Kombat focuses on a group of fighters who must win a martial-arts battle in another dimension or see their world enslaved.
Tagawa notably played Shang Tsung, the powerful evil sorcerer and host of the tournament. This is the most popular role in his career, given the film's prominence to the younger generation. His performance was also iconic to certain audiences, and he eventually reprised the role in a 2013 web series and the Mortal Kombat 11 game.
Where You Can Stream: HBO Max
Tekken
Another film based on a popular video game, Tekken, follows Jin Kazama as he witnesses the death of his mother, Jun, by Tekken in the slums known as Anvil. After finding a Tekken ID, he decides to seek out vengeance for his mother's death.
While the film was panned by critics and fans for its unfaithful take on the source material, Tagawa's performance as Heihachi Mishima was still memorable for many fans, and he is considered to be its saving grace.
Where You Can Stream: Starz
The Man in the High Castle
The alternate history drama series, The Man in the High Castle, takes place in a dystopian America that is dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It focuses on a young woman who discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.
Tagawa played the role of Nobusuke Tagomi, the Trade Minister of the Japanese Pacific States, who has ambiguous loyalty. This is one of his memorable late-career roles as he managed to play a three-dimensional character that audiences are curious to follow throughout his three-season run.
Where You Can Stream: Prime Video
The Last Emperor
The epic historical drama The Last Emperor is Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatization of China's eleventh and final monarch of the Qing dynasty: Emperor Puyi.
While Tagawa's character Chang did not have a lot of screen time, he still made an impression on the audience, and this catapulted the late actor's prominence earlier in his career.
Where You Can Stream: HBO Max
Blue Eye Samurai
The Emmy-winning animated series Blue Eye Samurai follows a young warrior, driven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan, who cuts a bloody path toward her destiny.
This marks Tagawa's last appearance on screen (albeit in a voice role). He played the role of Master Eiji, a swordsmith who served as Mizu's mentor and father figure. While it's a voice performance, it was still a great showcase of his talent as a performer and a way for the young audiences to be familiar with his work and legacy.
Where You Can Stream: Netflix
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