Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, actor who performed in 'Mortal Kombat,' has died at 75

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a Tokyo-born actor known for his roles in the film “Mortal Kombat” and TV series "The Man in the High Castle" has died. He was 75.

Tagawa died surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara from complications due to a stroke, his manager, Margie Weiner, confirmed on Thursday.

“Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft,” she said in an email. “His loss is immeasurable. My heart is with his family, friends, and all who loved him.”

Tagawa's decades of film and TV roles truly got off the ground in 1987 when he appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film “The Last Emperor." Since then, he appeared in such films as “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes” and “License to Kill."

Tagawa was raised mostly in the U.S. South while his Hawaii-born father was assigned to U.S. mainland Army bases. He lived in Honolulu and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for a while.

Tagawa’s father met his mother while stationed in Japan, Tagawa told Honolulu Magazine in 2004. His parents named him after Cary Grant and his brother after Gregory Peck, he said.

His mother, Ayako, had been a stage actor in Japan, according to the Honolulu weekly newspaper Midweek. Tagawa said she asked him not to pursue acting because there weren’t many good roles for Asians.

He eventually began an acting career at age 36 after being a celery farmer, limo driver, pizza supply truck driver and photojournalist, he said.

“The good news for Asian actors and Hollywood is that it’s better than it’s ever been, but the bad news is that it hasn’t changed that much,” he told Midweek in 2005. “The opportunities haven’t increased that much, but commercially there’s more exposure.”

Tagawa played the Baron in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” a 2005 movie based on the bestselling novel chronicling a young girl’s rise from poverty in a Japanese fishing village to life in high society.

Some critics said the movie lacked authenticity, but Tagawa said it was unrealistic to expect a fictional work written and directed by Americans to fully reflect Japanese style and sensitivities.

“What did they expect? It wasn’t a documentary,″ Tagawa told The Associated Press in 2006. “Unless the Japanese did the movie, it’s all interpretation.″

Tagawa told the AP that he studied various martial acts but left because he wasn’t into fighting or competition.

Instead, he developed a system he called Ninjah Sportz, which incorporated martial arts as a training and healing tool. He worked with professional athletes like World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Brian Viloria and advised members of the University of Hawaii football team.

In 2008, Tagawa pleaded guilty in a Honolulu court to a petty misdemeanor charge of harassing a girlfriend. She had bruises to her legs, police said at the time.

His attorney said he took full responsibility for the case from the beginning and made no excuses.

FILE - Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa appears at the 22nd annual Critics' Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on Dec. 11, 2016. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa pose on the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the 35th Moscow International Film Festival in Moscow, Russia, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr, File)

FILE - Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa attends "The Man in the High Castle" photo call at the Amazon Summer TCA Tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Aug. 3, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa gestures after arriving at the world premiere of NBC's new police series "Hawaii" on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, Aug. 29, 2004, in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni, File)

France, Scotland or Ireland will clinch the most fun Six Nations in years on Saturday.

Predictions have been torn up and one last twist in the final round of a gripping championship would not surprise.

France is in pole position to win successive titles for the first time since 2006-07. France leads Scotland in the table only on points difference. Its massive though. Ireland is two points behind.

The French have the advantage of closing the championship at a packed Stade de France against an underwhelming England, knowing what they will need to do four hours after Ireland hosts Scotland in Dublin.

Scotland blew open the title race after destroying France's Grand Slam hopes 50-40 in Edinburgh last Saturday.

Scotland's most basic route to a first title since the 1999 Five Nations is beating Ireland and France losing to England. But Scotland hasn't beaten Ireland since 2017 and not in Dublin since 2010. Ireland has been the graveyard of Scotland dreams in their last 11 contests.

Ireland's simplest path to a third title in four years is beating Scotland and also hoping England beats France.

A draw and/or bonus points spin out the scenarios.

Ireland and Scotland are also in the first showdown since 2009 for the Triple Crown, awarded to the home nation which beats the other three home nations. Ireland won it in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Scotland last won it in 1990.

The championship goes into the last round with a first three-way title shootout since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced an October finish. England won on points difference after Ireland and France couldn't meet scoring requirements.

The other Six Nations match on Saturday is also tasty: Wales hosts Italy in Cardiff. Wales is trying to end a 15-match losing streak in the tournament; Italy is trying for three wins in a single championship for the first time.

Fabien Galthié, France: “We don’t dwell on what just happened (against Scotland), we focus on what's coming next. What matters to us is that we've earned the right to play for the win on Saturday. We'll assess the tournament with its highs and lows later. In this Six Nations championship everything can change from one day to the next. All six teams have experienced positive periods and more challenging times. But the most important thing is that we have the opportunity to play for the win on Saturday night. And that's what motivates us.”

Gregor Townsend, Scotland: “No (I haven't thought of winning the title). It's out of our hands, really. We can only do a certain amount. It's a game against an opponent that's had the upper hand on us for years. It's a challenge but a real opportunity for us to go and deliver an even better performance than we did last week. If we win the game we know there's something at stake. That performance (against France) was close to the best that we've seen from this group and from probably any Scotland team. I think the belief is there that when we get our game right it can put pressure on any defense, and when we get our defense in place we can frustrate opposition. But this is a different challenge. Ireland seem to play very well against us so that's what we’re expecting.”

Andy Farrell, Ireland: “Of course you would like to dream (of the title) but the rest is out of our hands. But something is in our hands and we will focus on our performance, first and foremost. It would be nice to win something that is pretty special for us and that's the Triple Crown. It's been hard to come by over the years when playing for Ireland so we're desperate to get across that. (Scotland) were outstanding against France and we have been preparing for another Scottish performance like that. We'll have to be at our best to beat them as they are a side we have always respected.”

Super Saturday

Ireland vs. Scotland, Dublin, 1410 GMT

Wales vs. Italy, Cardiff, 1640 GMT

France vs. England, Paris, 2010 GMT

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Ireland's players celebrate after their teammate Jamie Osborne scored a try during a Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and Wales in Dublin, Ireland, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Scotland's Kyle Steyn celebrates scoring a try during the Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday March 7, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

France's Antoine Dupont and Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu, left, in action during the Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday March 7, 2026. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)