Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Japanese: 田川 洋行, Tagawa Hiroyuki; born September 27, 1950) is an actor, film producer and martial artist of Japanese ethnicity and citizenship of the United States and Russia.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | |
|---|---|
田川 洋行 | |
 Tagawa in 2011 | |
| Born | September 27, 1950 Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Other names | Cary Tagawa Panteleymon Tagawa |
| Citizenship | United States Russia |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actor, film producer, martial artist |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sally Phillips (m. 1984) |
| Children | 3 |
His roles have included the eunuch Chang in The Last Emperor, Earth Alliance security officer Morishi in Babylon 5 ("Convictions"), the voice of Sin Tzu for the video game Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, and the evil mastermind Heihachi Mishima in the film adaptation of Tekken. He portrays Nobusuke Tagomi in The Man in the High Castle, the Amazon original series adaptation of the novel by Philip K. Dick, in season one to three.
Tagawa is known for his role as the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung in various works of the Mortal Kombat franchise: he first played the character in the 1995 film adaptation, later reprising it in 2013 for the television series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and in the 2019 video game Mortal Kombat 11, where the character was re-designed to look like Tagawa's 1995 portrayal.
Early life
Tagawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, the son of a Japanese actress and Japanese-American father who served in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Hood, Texas. His mother tongues are English and Japanese but he also speaks some Korean and Spanish.[1][2]
Tagawa was raised in various cities. His family finally settled in Southern California, where he began acting in high school while attending Duarte High School. He attended the University of Southern California and was an exchange student in Japan.
Career
His breakthrough as an actor came when he was cast as the Eunuch Chang in The Last Emperor (1987). In 1989, he played an undercover agent of the Hong Kong Narcotics Board in the James Bond film Licence to Kill. In 1991, he starred alongside Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee in the action film Showdown in Little Tokyo, where he played the role of Yakuza boss Yoshida. He also starred alongside James Hong and Jeff Speakman in the same year in the film The Perfect Weapon, where he played Kai, an assistant to the Korean mafia families.
He appeared in the film Mortal Kombat (1995) as the sorcerer Shang Tsung; he would later reprise the role in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy in 2013, and in the video game Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019. He also appeared as the deadly pirate leader Kabai Sengh in The Phantom (1996). Tagawa is among the actors, producers and directors interviewed in the documentary The Slanted Screen (2006), directed by Jeff Adachi, about the representation of Asian and Asian-American men in Hollywood.
Tagawa played Heihachi Mishima in Tekken, the film adaptation of the video game franchise. In 2006, he provided the voice of Brushogun in Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo. He was in the film Johnny Tsunami (1999) and its sequel Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board (2007). In between those two films, Tagawa played Attar's mentor Krull in Tim Burton's version of Planet of the Apes (2001).
Tagawa reprised his role as Shang Tsung for the second season of the YouTube series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. This new version of the character was unrelated to Tagawa's previous work as Tsung.[3]
He played Satoshi Takeda in Revenge, a powerful CEO in Japan and Emily Thorne's former mentor in her quest for revenge. In season 2, Tagawa took over the role from Hiroyuki Sanada, who was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts.[4]
Tagawa also plays the role of Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi in the film 47 Ronin.[5]
In 2015, Tagawa was cast as one of the lead characters, Nobusuke Tagomi, the Trade Minister of the Pacific States of America in Amazon's The Man in the High Castle based on Philip K. Dick's novel of the same name. Also in November 2015, both he and Taimak (The Last Dragon) were honorees for the Fists of Legends Legacy Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo.[6]
Personal life
In 2013, Tagawa started working with Russian actors Pyotr Mamonov and Ivan Okhlobystin.[7] In 2016, he also acquired Russian citizenship.[8]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Big Trouble in Little China | Wing Kong Swordsman | Uncredited |
| Armed Response | Toshi | ||
| 1987 | The Last Emperor | Chang | |
| 1988 | Bulletproof | Thug In Flashback | Uncredited |
| Spellbinder | Lieutenant Lee | ||
| Twins | Oriental Man | ||
| 1989 | The Last Warrior | Imperial Marine | |
| Licence to Kill | Kwang | ||
| 1991 | Kickboxer 2 | Sanga | |
| Showdown in Little Tokyo | Funekei Yoshida | ||
| The Perfect Weapon | Kai | ||
| 1992 | Nemesis | Angie-Liv | |
| American Me | 'El Japo' | ||
| 1993 | Rising Sun | Eddie Sakamura | |
| 1994 | Natural Causes | Major Somchal | |
| Picture Bride | Kanzuki | ||
| 1995 | The Dangerous | Kon | |
| Mortal Kombat | Shang Tsung | ||
| Heat | Street Cop | Uncredited | |
| Soldier Boyz | Vinh Moc | ||
| 1996 | White Tiger | Victor Chow | |
| The Phantom | The Great Kabai Sengh | ||
| Danger Zone | Monsieur Chang | ||
| 1997 | Top of the World | Captain Hefter | |
| Mortal Kombat: Annihilation | Shang Tsung | Cameo appearance | |
| 1998 | Vampires | David Deyo | |
| Provocateur | Captain Jong | ||
| American Dragons | Matsuyama | ||
| 1999 | Bridge of Dragons | General Ruechang | |
| Fixations | Alex | ||
| Snow Falling on Cedars | Zenhichi Miyamoto | ||
| 2000 | The Art of War | David Chan | |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Commander Minoru Genda | |
| Planet of the Apes | Krull | ||
| 2005 | Elektra | Master Roshi | |
| Memoirs of a Geisha | The Baron | ||
| 2006 | The Slanted Screen | Himself | Documentary film |
| Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo | Brushogan (voice) | ||
| 2007 | Balls of Fury | Mysterious Asian Man | |
| Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter | Alibek | ||
| 2008 | Lost Warrior: Left Behind | Detective Yoshide | Video |
| Bodyguard: A New Beginning | Kai | ||
| 2009 | By the Will of Chingis Khan | Bodyguard | |
| Hachi: A Dog's Tale | Ken | ||
| Tekken | Heihachi Mishima | ||
| The Tomb | Len Burris | ||
| 2012 | Black Cobra | Goro Tanaka | Video |
| 2013 | 47 Ronin | Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi | |
| 2014 | Hype Nation 3D | Sammy Kata | |
| Priest-San | Father Nikolai 'Takuro' Nakamura | ||
| Ninja Apocalypse | Fumitaka | ||
| Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge | Heihachi Mishima | ||
| Skin Trade | Senator Khat | ||
| 2015 | Junction | Narrator (voice) | |
| The Man with the Iron Fists 2 | The Mayor | ||
| Little Boy | Hashimoto | ||
| 2016 | Showdown in Manila | Aldric Cole | |
| Beyond the Game | Detective Yoshida | ||
| Kubo and the Two Strings | Hashi (voice) | ||
| The Whole World at Our Feet | Khazar | ||
| 2018 | Duel of Legends | 'Sting' | |
| 2022 | Reagan | Yasuhiro Nakasone[9] | Filming |
| TBD | Sky Sharks | Michael Morel | Pre-production |
Short films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | True Love & Mimosa Tea | Andreas Kanaka | |
| The Sand Island Drive-In Anthem | Uncle C | ||
| 2009 | The Legend of Chang Apana | Chang Apana | |
| 2010 | Absolute.ness | Chief Dax | |
| Overturned | Judge | ||
| 2015 | Genghis Khan Conquers the Moon | Genghis Khan | |
| 2016 | Overwatch: Dragons | Narrator / Sojiro Shimada (voice) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | MacGyver | Asian Buyer | Episode: "Dalton, Jack of Spies" |
| The Colbys | Mr. Sung | Episode: "Devil's Advocate" | |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | Mandarin Bailiff | Episode: "Encounter at Farpoint" | |
| 1987-89 | Miami Vice | Kenji Fujitsu, Tegoro | Episode: "The Rising Sun of Death" & "Asian Cut" |
| 1988 | Hotel | Inspector Chin | Episode: "Double Take" |
| 1989 | L.A. Takedown | Hugh Denny | Television film |
| Superboy | Detective Jed Slade | Episode: "Terror from the Blue" | |
| Knots Landing | Mr. Toyo | Episode: "Giganticus II: The Revenge" | |
| Moonlighting | Artist | Episode: "Perfetc" | |
| A Peaceable Kingdom | Coach | Episode: "Chimp" | |
| Alien Nation | Yamato | Episode: "The First Cigar" | |
| Mission: Impossible | Vang Kai | Episode: "Countdown" | |
| 1990 | Jake and the Fatman | Raymond Char | Episode: "Chinatown, My Chinatown" |
| Hardball | Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" | ||
| The Bakery | Kim Lee | Television film | |
| Vestige of Honor | Thai Major | ||
| 1991 | Baywatch | Mason Sato | Episode: "War of Nerves" |
| Not of This World | Shikido | Television film | |
| Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis | Shoji Hashimoto | ||
| 1992 | Raven | Osato | Episodes: "Return of the Black Dragon" and "Reunion" |
| 1993 | Renegade | Hirotaka | Episode: "Samurai" |
| 1993-94 | Space Rangers | Zylyn | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | Day of Reckoning | Prakit | Television film |
| 1995 | Babylon 5 | Morishi | Episode: "Convictions" |
| Thunder in Paradise 3 | Mason Lee | Television film | |
| 1996 | Cybill | Kenji | Episode: "Cybill and Maryann Go to Japan" |
| Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Tai Wei Tse | Episode: "Sweet & Sour Victory" | |
| 1996-97 | Nash Bridges | Lieutenant A.J. Shimamura | 12 episodes |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | King Young-Jin | Episode: "The Little Mermaid" |
| Raven: Return of the Black Dragon | Osato | Television film | |
| Stargate SG-1 | Turghan | Episode: "Emancipation" | |
| 1998 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Sam Tanaka | Episode: "The Internment" |
| Vengeance Unlimited | Aung Myint | Episode: "Ambition" | |
| 1999 | Seven Days | Peter | Episode: "Walter" |
| Johnny Tsunami | Johnny Tsunami | Television film | |
| NetForce | Leong Cheng | ||
| 2000 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Master Ko | Episode: "Black Dragons" |
| 2003 | Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding | Mason Sato | Television film |
| 2004 | Hawaii | Captain Terry Harada | |
| 2005 | Faith of My Fathers | Cat | Television film |
| 2007 | Heroes | The Swordsmith | Episodes: "Chapter Six 'The Line'" and "Chapter Seven 'Out of Time'" |
| Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board | Johnny Tsunami | Television film | |
| 2008 | Ghost Voyage | The Steward | |
| 2009 | Beyond the Break | Xander | Episodes: "One 'Elle' of a Party" and "Cast Away" |
| 2010 | Hawaii Five-0 | Hiro Noshimori | Episodes: "Ke Kinohi" and "Pahele" |
| 2012-13 | Revenge | Satoshi Takeda | 6 episodes |
| 2014 | Teen Wolf | Katashi / Silverfinger | Episode: "Silverfinger" |
| The Librarians | Mr. Drake | Episode: "And the Apple of Discord" | |
| 2015-2018 | The Man in the High Castle | Nobusuke Tagomi | Main cast |
| 2016 | Grimm | Takeshi Himura | Episode: "Inugami" |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Sumo Kuma (voice) | Episodes: "Yojimbo" and "Kagayake! Kintaro" | |
| 2017 | Star Wars Rebels | Alrich Wren (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2018-present | Lost in Space | Hiroki Watanabe |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Shang Tsung | 2 episodes |
| TBA | Blue Eye Samurai[10] |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Soldier Boyz | Vinh Moc | |
| 2003 | Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu | Sin Tzu | |
| 2016 | World of Warcraft: Legion | Voice Over Cast | |
| 2019-20 | Mortal Kombat 11 | Shang Tsung | Downloadable content Also in Aftermath and Ultimate |
Bibliography
- Paul, Louis (2008). "Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa". Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 254–261. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.
References
- Profile, starbulletin.com, May 25, 2011; accessed March 30, 2016.
- Profile, starbulletin.com, September 11, 2003; accessed March 30, 2016.
- "Web Series 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2′ Hitting February 17th". Latino Review. Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- Keck, William (August 15, 2012). "Keck's Exclusives: Revenge Recasts a Role" (TV Guide); retrieved August 16, 2012.
- "47 Ronin: trama, recensione, cast e trailer del film con Keanu Reeves". Controcampus (in Italian). 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- "2015 Urban Action Showcase International Action Film Festival & Honoree Awards". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "This is just the beginning of my Russian career", rbth.asia; accessed March 30, 2016.
- Seeking new citizenship: 10 foreign celebrities that now call Russia home
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cast as Japanese Prime Minister in Ronald Reagan Biopic
- Otterson, Joe (2020-10-09). "Netflix Sets Overall Deal With Michael Green, Orders Animated Series 'Blue Eye Samurai'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
