Is Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Living or Dead?

Living or Dead? Celebrities, films, tv shows, birthdays, deaths ... your one-stop shop to satisfy your morbid curiosity.

Is Japanese-American actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa dead? Or ... still alive?

Subscribe to Living or Dead news !!!

Celebrity death and birthday updates to your inbox!

Unsub at any time. We'll never sell your details.

By Radiator Perlman

Updated 18 March 2023

Artist	Ivan Bessedin
Credit	Flickr: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
License	cc-by-2.0
Desc	Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Usage	Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Image info/credit

Japanese-American actor

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is ...

Alive

Born	27 September 1950 in Higashi-Azabu
Age	72 years, 9 months

Sex or gender	male
Country of citizenship	Japan, United States of America and Russia
Birth name	\u5ddd\u4e0a\u30ce\u30d6
Occupation	actor, film producer, film actor, television actor, karateka, voice actor and martial artist
Residence	Tokyo
Notable work	Mortal Kombat
Awards	Behind The Voice Actors
Genre	action film, mystery film and drama
Sport	karate
Educated at	University of Southern California and Duarte High School

About Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: The Man Who Redefined Asian-American Acting

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is a Japanese-American actor who has redefined the way Asian-Americans are portrayed in Hollywood. Born on September 27, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, Tagawa grew up in various cities across the world, including Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. He began his acting career in the 1980s and has since appeared in over 100 films and TV shows.

Tagawa's breakthrough role came in 1989 when he played the villainous gangster Yoshida in Ridley Scott's "Black Rain." He went on to play a series of memorable villains in films like "Rising Sun," "Mortal Kombat," and "Planet of the Apes." However, Tagawa has also played a variety of other roles, including a samurai in "The Last Samurai," a detective in "Memoirs of a Geisha," and a father in "The Man in the High Castle."

Tagawa's acting style is characterized by his intense physicality and his ability to convey complex emotions with subtle gestures and expressions. He has also been praised for his ability to bring depth and nuance to his characters, even when they are written as one-dimensional stereotypes.

Tagawa's success as an actor has been hard-won. He has spoken openly about the challenges he has faced as an Asian-American actor in Hollywood, including the limited opportunities for Asian-American actors and the prevalence of racist stereotypes. However, he has also been a vocal advocate for greater representation and diversity in the entertainment industry.

In addition to his acting career, Tagawa is also a martial artist and a cultural ambassador for Japan. He has trained in various martial arts, including karate, kendo, and aikido, and has used his skills in many of his film roles. He has also worked to promote Japanese culture and has served as a goodwill ambassador for the Japanese government.

Tagawa's legacy as an actor and cultural ambassador is a testament to his talent, perseverance, and commitment to breaking down barriers. He has paved the way for future generations of Asian-American actors and has shown that diversity and representation are essential for a vibrant and inclusive entertainment industry.

References:

- "Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: The Man Who Redefined Asian-American Acting." Rolling Stone, 25 Sept. 2020, www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features

Films - which cast members have died?

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has been a part of these films.

Click to see which cast and crew are living and dead!

Pearl Harbor

2001 film by Michael Bay

Licence to Kill

1989 James Bond film directed by John Glen

Planet of the Apes

2001 science fiction film directed by Tim Burton

Mortal Kombat

1995 US action film

Skin Trade

2015 film by Ekachai Uekrongtham

Big Trouble in Little China

1986 film by John Carpenter

Memoirs of a Geisha

2005 film by Rob Marshall

47 Ronin

2013 fantasy-adventure-action film

The Last Emperor

1987 film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

The Phantom

1996 film by Simon Wincer

Elektra

superhero film directed by Rob Bowman, 2005

Tekken

2010 film by Dwight H. Little

Reagan

2023 film directed by Sean McNamara

Little Boy

2015 film by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

2009 drama film

Vampires

1998 American western-horror film

Nemesis

1992 film by Albert Pyun

American Me

1992 film by Edward James Olmos

Showdown in Little Tokyo

1991 US action film

Snow Falling on Cedars

1999 film by Scott Hicks

Rising Sun

1993 film by Philip Kaufman

The Art of War

2000 film by Christian Duguay

Balls of Fury

2007 American sports comedy film

The Perfect Weapon

1991 film by Mark DiSalle

Kickboxer 2

1991 American martial arts film

Ninja Apocalypse

2014 film

Soldier Boyz

1995 film by Louis Morneau

Danger Zone

1996 film by Allan Eastman

American Dragons

1998 film by Ralph Hemecker

Bridge of Dragons

1999 film by Isaac Florentine

Showdown in Manila

2016 film by Mark Dacascos

Armed Response

1986 film by Fred Olen Ray

Top of the World

1997 film by Sidney J. Furie

Sky Sharks

2018 film by Marc Fehse

Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter

2007 film

Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

1991 film by Robert Iscove

The Dangerous

1994 film

The Ghost

2001 film directed by Douglas Jackson

Television - which cast members have died?

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has been a part of these shows.

Click to see which cast and crew are living and dead!

Babylon 5

American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski

Stargate SG-1

science fiction TV show

Hawaii Five-0

2010 version of the American television series

Miami Vice

1984–1989 American crime drama television series

Teen Wolf

American teen-drama television series

Knots Landing

television series

The Man in the High Castle

American dystopian alternate history television series

Star Trek: The Next Generation

American science fiction television series

NCIS: Los Angeles

American military drama/police procedural television series

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

American 2012-2017 animated TV series by the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in the franchise of the same name

Star Wars Rebels

American 3D CGI animated television series from 2014–2018

Walker, Texas Ranger

American TV series

DuckTales

2017 American animated series

Grimm

American police procedural fantasy television series

Revenge

American television primetime soap opera

Baywatch

American action drama series

MacGyver

American television series

Moonlighting

television series

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

American sitcom

Star Wars: Visions

Upcoming anime anthology series set in the Star Wars universe

Nash Bridges

American police drama television series

Superboy

US TV series

Cybill

television series

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

The Librarians

2014 TV series

The Colbys

Seven Days

television series

Mission: Impossible

television series 1988

Jake and the Fatman

television series

Renegade

American television series

Poltergeist: The Legacy

Canadian horror television series

Lost in Space

Space Rangers

television series