Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a Japanese American actor and skilled martial artist best known for portraying the menacing villain Shang Tsung in the 1995 film “Mortal Kombat,” has died at the age of 75.

Tagawa died on Dec. 4 in Santa Barbara, California, from complications stemming from a stroke, his publicist, Penny Vizcarra, told The Epoch Times on Friday.

“I had the privilege of representing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa for many years, but our relationship grew into something far deeper—he was an inspiration to me,” his manager, Margie Weiner, said.

“Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft. His loss is immeasurable. Although he was an extraordinary talent, his most important role was that of a father and grandfather. The family asks for peace and privacy during this time as they grieve their profound loss.”

Born on Sept. 27, 1950, in Tokyo, Tagawa was raised in a military household. His family settled in the United States when he was just a child. He went on to attend the University of Southern California, where he honed his study of traditional Japanese karate.

Tagawa furthered his training at the Japan Karate Association in his home country. He eventually developed his own style of martial arts called Chu Shin, which he later taught in Los Angeles.

After being discovered by acclaimed Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, Tagawa landed his first major role in the 1987 epic biographical drama “The Last Emperor.”

With more than 100 film and television credits to his name, Tagawa skillfully blended his martial arts prowess into many of his performances on the screen.

Some of his most notable roles include “License to Kill” (1989), “Johnny Tsunami” (1999), “Pearl Harbor” (2001), “Planet of the Apes” (2001), “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005), “Tekken” (2010), and “47 Ronin” (2013).

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa attends the ‘The Man in the High Castle’ panel discussion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Aug. 3, 2015. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)

He was also known for starring in the dystopian television series “The Man in the High Castle,” which aired from 2015 to 2019, and for lending his voice to several video games.

Tagawa is survived by his three children, Calen, Brynne, and Cana, and two grandchildren, River and Thea Clayton.

Ed Boon, the co-creator of the “Mortal Kombat” fighting video game series, was among those who paid tribute to the actor online.

“Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, swagger, and athleticism to his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on film,” Boon wrote on X. “Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal.”

Screenwriter Bob Saenz described Tagawa as a “cool, funny, really giving, terrific person,” noting that he was “the kind of guy you just love to hang with.”

“RIP Cary. You were a class act,” Saenz shared.